The ultimate Cocktail

[venator]

The Brompton cocktail was served in most hospitals during the 20th century in one form or another.

It was whatever spirits the patient preferred, with morphine, cocaine and/or other opiates, together with anti nausea and other drugs it varied from place to place.

It was given to terminally ill patients during their last days, to reduce their suffering and enable them to socialise and to reduce the distress of their relatives.

It was given in unlimited quantities, without consideration of the fatal dose, and probably hastened a relatively peaceful death.

I'm healthy at the moment, but wouldn't mind having a bottle in the cupboard just in case.

Should Tesco stock it?

[Ankou]

my granny drank a bottle of guineess a day when she was on her last legs.

my mum called a scar on my deads head the 'lucozade bruise' for years afterwards.

[Ankou]

i meant dads head, although ....

[DEN53]

I can remember taking my Grandad a bottle of Guinness in to him when he was in the London Hospital, Whitechapel - he hated the stuff, but was told by nursing staff it was good for him.

Sadly, all that you get in hospital now is MRSA and E Coli and the only bottles that are taken in are Dettol. ():o(

[Bbbananas]

lol ankou - at your dad / dead slip of the finger!

[McMouse]

<< highlighted how much morphine the body could take and still be consistent with life.>>
Sqad's post reminds me of my father's last few weeks when he was on extreme doses of morphine at the hospice. He came home for Christmas and the medication he brought with him didn't kill the pain. I called our GP and he said he would be struck off if he administered the required dose. Took him back to the hospice and the duty nurse had no hesitation in providing the necessary. She agreed that no GP would risk it though.

[woofgang]

So far as i know, you can still take a patient alcohol into hospital provided it doesn't cause problems for the staff (violence, vomitting etc) Certainly in hospices its not an issue locally or seemingly nationally.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10355004
People with chronic kidney disease are suggested to have a drink before meals both to boost their calorie intake and to help to give them an appetite. Yes I remember the Brompton Cocktail.

[BAKERS DOZEN]

Only just seen this thread. My first job when I left school was a a trainee pharmacy technician at Hope Hospital in Salford in 1966. It was a manufacturing pharmacy in that if it could be made then we did it in house. I made everything from lotions, creams, sterile infusions in the autoclave, glycerine suppositories (tiny ones for babies, and great big ones for you gents) and the Brompton Mixture. Of course I only assisted the pharmacist with this but the first time I was gobsmacked when he opened this locked cupboard and there were three dozen bottles on brandy in there. Oh what memories you have just brought back to me. I loved it there.

[tinkerbell23]

i lost a flippin eyebrow due to absinthe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[venator]

Tinker - do tell about the eyebrow

[venator]

Baker's - Mrs V was a sister at Ladywell, and has been a \midwife on delivery unit at Hope for over 30 years.

Have you heard - as it's the best performing delivery unit in Greater Manchester, and in the top 10 nationally, they are closing it down, under a scheme called "Making it Better"!

You couldn't invent it, could you?