Cherry cough drops and baby aspirin

A few months ago, we reminisced about some old-time pain remedies we used to see in stores. Merthiolate, Creomulsion, Aspergum, and even snuff. Well, that opened the floodgates. It seems many of you have either fond or painful memories of products we rarely see today.For instance, the fiber-type laxative Serutan ("natures" spelled backwards). It was an alternative to chemical-based laxatives like Fletcher's Castoria. Jan in Manchester, TN said, "Believe me, it really worked. The fact I remember it so vividly today is a testament to that."I also recall SSS ("Yes, yes, yes") tonic, a vitamin supplement intended to boost your energy. I always thought it was for old folks, and it's still available online. Now may be my chance! At our country store, Hadacol was another vitamin supplement, and a big seller. I now realize its principal attraction was that it contained 12 percent alcohol. Parents would give it to their kids once a year, and they were ready for perfect attendance.We didn't sell quite as much vanilla extract, but we did have one customer who stocked up on it. I assumed he used it for cooking. My parents later told me it contained 35 percent alcohol. He was "cooking," all right.Also in our Health Aids aisle was Ayds, a chocolate diet candy. I've been told that some people had confused Ayds with Ex-Lax. I would imagine if Ayds is still on the market today, it has probably been renamed. I sure hope so.Do you remember Save the Baby, a cough suppressant to be rubbed on the chest?Now there's a well-named product.Of course, cough drops were a hot item. We sold the original brand, called Smith Brothers, whose picture was on the label. They looked like they could have been friends with Abe Lincoln. Luden's were also popular cough drops. That wild cherry flavor was a little too tasty. I didn't need a cough to crave those. We sold Sucrets throat lozenges too, but they were bland and boring compared to Luden's, which tasted like candy.Crissie in Ringgold, GA remembers St. Joseph's baby aspirin. She said, "This had to be hidden from me because I thought it was candy. I ate over half a bottle more than once."And how about Carter's Little Liver Pills for headache and constipation? This is what Mom gave you if you looked "peak-ed" meaning tired, pale, or unwell.There was a Watkins salesman who went door to door. His Watkins products were said to be all natural, and you couldn't buy them in stores. Rosa in Jasper, TN remembers Watkins liniment for back problems. She said it was a cure-all medication that could "definitely open up your sinuses."Christopher in Lafayette, GA said he grew up with Soltice Quick Rub. He said, "My Nanny called it salve and would rub it all over my chest when I caught a cold and under my nose if it was stuffy." (And it was made by the Chattanooga Medicine Company.)The same company made Black Draught, another popular laxative. Lisa Ridge told me, "My great-grandmother lived to be 102, and dipped her finger in Black Draught every morning." Now there's the Fountain of Youth!I used to enjoy the commercials for Sominex and No-Doz. The jingle for Sominex is still in my head today. "Take Sominex tonight and sleep. Safe and restful; sleep, sleep, sleep." Yep, Sominex could put you to sleep, and then you'd wake up in the morning and pop a No-Doz pill to keep you alert. That made perfect sense to me. Thankfully, unlike the Luden's wild cherry cough drops, my parents kept those medications out of my reach.Speaking of staying awake, East Tennessee-made Fleetwood coffee was the Starbucks of its day in our store, followed closely by JFG, which was made in the same region. JFG dates back to 1919, and Fleetwood came along in 1925. Sanka was a distant 3rd place in our store. Most customers said, "No caffeine? What's the point?"In a future column, we'll remember some other grocery items that have largely faded away. Got any favorites from your childhood? Tell me about them, and I'll spread the word.David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his latest book is "I Won't Be Your Escape Goat," available from his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at RadioTV2020@yahoo.com