During the war I think my whole family were obsessed with constipation and determined to avoid it at all costs. Every Friday night my brothers and sister and I joined Mum and Dad in the ritual taking of a dose of Brooklax to "keep us regular" whether we needed it or not. Brooklax was a laxative which came in the form of a miniature bar of chocolate. Mum would line us up and poke half a tiny square on each of our tongues. It tasted chocolatey and was actually quite a treat.

The other "medicine" she doled out at the same time was Cod Liver Oil and Malt, and Scotts Emulsion. The first came in a large jar and Mum would stick a dessert spoon into the thick brown tar-like goo and wind it up until a massive dollop formed and shove it into our open mouths. You had to hold the spoon and lick it clean before handing it back for the next dose. The Cod Liver Oil and Malt didn't taste too bad but the next one, Scotts Emulsion, was ghastly. It was an off-white thick liquid poured from a large bottle into the same dessert spoon and ladeled down our throats while we held our noses against the vile smell. We swallowed it quickly because it tasted of rotting oily fish, and each of us shuddered and nearly gagged as it went down. "It does you good!" snarled Mum, daring us to complain.

At Nan's house about one and a half miles away, they were slightly less concerned about constipation, but nevertheless always kept a ball of Doctor's Liquorice in case anyone got "bound up". This was a black gobstopper nearly the size of a golf ball which had laxative properties. It was kept in an open bowl on the dresser among a collection of other nick-nacks such as winkle pins, needles, buttons, pencils, string, nails, collar studs, etc. Anyone who felt in need of a bowel movement would take out the lump of Doctor's Liquorice, pick off any fluff or dead flies, suck it for a while for its laxative juices, and then return it to the bowl for the next person.

I used to climb up to the dresser and have a lick occasionally but only because I liked the taste!