by John Glover
click here for cast
list
Episode 23: "Godfrey's Cordial Part 2" (May 18th 1998
4.50pm)
Anne
Worthington continued with her practice in front of her one man audience,
Yaxley Farcett (DI)...
'Because of the remote location of many farms and houses, coupled with the
high cost of mainstream medicine, Fenmen still relied on their 'simples'
or home cures to find relief from Fen ailments such as the ague, Rheumatism
and depression brought on by poverty. As well as the uses I've already described,
opium was also used to sedate animals, ease toothache, diarrhoea, hangovers,
headaches and in the case of the men as a chaser with beer, taken in the
form of a pill.
With many Fen women working on the land, another use of opium was to keep
their children in a semi comatose state, so that they could get on with their
work...' Anne Worthington looked over her glasses at Yaxley. ' That's what
I was telling you about. Old Millie used to 'see to' the kids'. She returned
to her notes and continued...'Children were left at home with older sisters
or placed by the side of the field after having been given a dose of Godfrey's
Cordial to 'keep them quiet' for the day. Many children also became addicted
during infancy when they were given 'Mrs.Winslow's Soothing Syrup' as a treatment
for teething pains.
By the late 1800's some Fenland families were spending up to a shilling a
week on opium and suicide became relatively commonplace by people who could
no longer finance their habit. It would appear that the problems of this
addiction were unheard of outside the area and were actually condoned by
doctors who worked here as they saw it as just a variation on the urban tendency
to alcoholism for virtually the same reasons; poverty, ill health and depression.
And, as alcohol tends to have a more violent reaction, so opium kept the
Feman in a semi permanent state of docility and contentment.
By the time of the first world war, the practice of Opium taking had all
but ended. Better living
Yaxley Farcett clapped and smiled at Anne Worthington, who was beaming as
she realised that she had genuinely held the young Detectives attention for
the past fifteen minutes or so. 'Wonderful" said Yaxley. 'I'll definitely
come to see you give your talk in anger. When is it ?' Anne smiled shyly
and said " On May 30th. At the Village Hall'. Yaxley stood up and extended
a hand towards the amateur Historian, 'Thank you for the History lesson and
thanks for your help. If I need anything else, I'll get in touch. Mr.Dixon
has been dead now for nine hours and I'm no further forward. Although I've
a far better understanding of you Fen Tigers !" Yaxley Farcett left
Mrs.Worthington with her books, tapes and memories and went back downstairs
to the kitchen. His new partner Brian, was still sitting at the table talking
to his brother and nephew. He could hear Daisy, making loud 'putting things
away' noises in the pantry. Yaxley looked across at Brian, 'You hungry Bunter
?' Brian nodded. 'C'mon then. Let's go over to 'Like Chips In the Night"
for a BrunchFest Special'. Brain leapt out of his chair and a minute later
they were speeding back along Cauliflower Drove in the direction of
Ealham....
The prologue -
Episode One -
Episode 2 -
Episode 3 -
Episode 4 -
Episode 5 -
Episode 6 -
Episode 7 -
Episode 8 -
Episode 9 -
Episode 10 -
Episode 11-
Episode 12 -
Episode 13 -
Episode 14 -
Episode 15 -
Episode 16 -
Episode 17 -
Episode 18 -
Episode 19 -
Episode 20 -
Episode 21 -
Episode 22 -
Episode 24 -
Cast List and Episode Index
Comments to Collyinfo
conditions
and a Royal Commission on the Opium Trade in 1893 had all but put paid to
this dubious method of 'self-medication'. Many see it now, in retrospect,
as just the 19th century equivalent of today's tranquilizers and anti-biotics,
but there can be no doubt there was something more sinister underpinning
the whole activity of Opium Abuse. So, in conclusion, when your child has
had a Drugs Awareness Session at school and you're feeling slightly bewildered
by it all, just remember what I said at the start of my talk.......There
aint nothing new under the sun !!!!'