The history of the famous miners cough cure

There is many a home medicine cabinet being raided right now with both Covid and seasonal colds and flu doing the rounds.  In 1930 this Miners Cough Cure was hailed as “the best ever used”,  “out on its own” and  “nothing else like it”.

Waihi Chemist E. A Clark advertised this medicine which had been found to be very successful with Miners who suffered from chest and lung complaints.  The sale of the medicine had then been extended to all communities and was particularly popular in damp and foggy districts.

While our home medicine cabinets will often include a packet or two of paracetamol,  this was not the case in the 1930’s.  The reverse side of this flier advertises a pain relief medication “Pain-go” that does not contain Aspirin.  The use of Aspirin was not always recommended due to side-effects so here we see “Pain-go” being advertised as an alternative to Aspirin.  It could be used to treat a range of maladies including neuritus, rheumatic nerve pain and even insomnia and apparently no ill effects.

HCLE_00061, Hamilton City Libraries