A Little Dose'll Do You: Castoria Memories

Now this is a strange little trip down memory lane.  I was with a dear friend yesterday and we got to talking about different things and for some reason Castoria came up.  I think we might have said something about the bad taste of some medicines our parents used to give us as children.  Castoria came to my mind because for me, I really liked the taste.  In fact, there were times (this is MANY years ago mind you) that I would sneek a spoonful on the sly.  Now there is a bizarre addictiction for you.

My mother and my grandmother both paid close attention to my brother and my, well, bodily functions.  I guess way back then, if you were sluggish or cranky, it was automatically assumed you were, well, you know, constipated.  Sigh.  We seldom were.  I think behind this was a psychological ploy my mom and grandma were using to get us to "get over it".  Back then, you just didn't go with your feelings and let your heart sort it out.  You got up, got out and went on about your business.  And if it took Castoria to do it, well, so be it.

Now Castoria is not castor oil.  It is vegetable base with a sucrose base.  No wonder I liked the taste!  To this day, I still like prunes...in small amounts of course.  I suppose one could get addicted to things like Castoria.  I didn't.  But it is interesting what they marketed for kids in those days.  And I was surprised to find it is still available, along with Carter's Little Liver Pills (for headaches) and Doan's Pills (for lower back pain).

I suppose there are things I don't miss about my childhood.  Taking this "medicine" is one of them.  What I do miss is the reason the maternal side of my nuclear family gave them to me:  concern, caring, and love.  I do miss thier daily doses of those.

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Below is a brief description of Castoria and two commericials I remember them running.  Hilarious now I suppose, but well intentioned then.  Maybe the simple days were better...maybe.

Fletchers Castoria The Childrens laxative liquid Fletchers Castoria the childrens laxative liquid is for the relief of occasional constipation.  Patented in 1868.

"Children cry for Fletcher's."

"...Fletcher's Castoria was manufactured by Charles Henry Fletcher beginning in 1871 and had been patented in 1868. The initial patent for Castoria included "senna, sodium bicarbonate, essence of wintergreen, taraxicum, sugar, and water." It was modified later to include other things like pumpkin, anise, wormseed to improve the taste to be more like root beer - although I'm not so sure it does! "