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VIROL

S

skylark

Proud to be a Brummie !!
Hello There,
had a nostalgic chat today about Virol, cod liver oil, and the unsweetened orange juice that we got as kids
during WW2...the one thing I could not recall though was...WHERE did we obtain these items..was it a chemist
or doctors surgery???? Help needed please !!!!!
Margaret.
 
I'm sure you could get Virol from grocers as well as chemists. I'm not so sure about cod liver oil [yuk] or the concentrated orange juice.
Below is a picture taken in Albert Street just after WW2, showing how virol was extensively advertised in those days.
Peter
 
The concentrated orange juice and cod liver oil were got from the Health Clinics.

I don't know if children still have any today but in the 50's, when my children were small,

I used to go to the Health Clinic in Sutton Coldfield, I think it was down Upper Holland Street.

I loved Virol as a child, much better than Malt and Codliver oil
 
I used to go with my Mother and baby brother to what we called "The Welfare". It was
a building at the bottom of Marsh Lane, Erdington. The orange juice was given out there and regular health checks were given at the same time by a doctor. I think the amount of orange juice was one bottle and it was for the baby. There was five years difference in age between me and my brother.

We had Virol which wasn't bad, yeast tablets and cod liver oil mostly on Saturday nights before we went to bed.
 
Yummy, you can get a substitute now from the health shop, bought some about 12 months ago, and it still tastes just as nice as when I was little.
:flower: :cat:
 
Many thanks folks for all the comments and pictures...as usual you have all the answers !!!
Regards,
Margaret.
 
Any of that stuff - that was supposed to be good for me I didn't like - but my sister would open her eager little mouth - and take my share LOL
 
loisand said:
Yummy, you can get a substitute now from the health shop, bought some about 12 months ago, and it still tastes just as nice as when I was little.
:flower: :cat:
Click to expand...
Do you remember what the substitute was called? I would like to try some.
 
My mom used to put it on my sisters dummy, it smelt vile, I can smell it know, anyway when her first teeth came in they were all back and rotten, the doctor said it was the virol that had caused it. Some one I know as well used to have Ribena and that happened to his teeth
 
Pat i remember when it was used and it was said later that it helped destroy tooth enamel. Maybe they didn't test as much as they do today before releasing it to the public. JEAN.
 
Hallo skylark I can remember going with Mom down Broad st and she used to get thick unsweetened orange juice and Virol,I can still remember the taste.I am not really sure what the place was but she also got them from the childrens clinic which I think was in Cregoe st.My Dad used to love duck and goose eggs the Virol jars made perfect egg cups for the very large eggs he used to buy from Birmingham market.Mary
 
I used to get dosed during the war with a variant called Virolax. Never objected because the taste wasn't bad compared with some of the other vile liquids. Don't know what it did to/for me but I'm still here!

Chris
 
I was the eldest of 4 and mom used to keep the malt and cod liver oil on the mantlepiece above the fire,
it was in a huge brown jar, and I was the only one that liked it, I used to climb on a chair and nick a spoonful every now and then.
 
Yes, I remember Virol, cod liver oil and unsweatened orange juice, and another syrup that was poured down my throat at regular intervals was Scotts Emulsion, on the bottle was a picture of a fisherman carrying a huge fish over his shoulder, Cod I imagine, this one didnt taste to bad though.

Goffy
 
Still keep Codliver Oil and Malt when I can get it, not one of my 4 lads could stand it.
 
Saturday night was "dose" night in our house. Cod Liver Oil capsules and Virol in particular. Didn't mind either but I did like the Cod Liver Oil capsules.
My youngest brother is five years younger than myself so we used to go to the Welfare Clinic in Marsh Lane, Erdington to have him checked and pick up the Orange Juice. Lovely stuff that.
 
My sister and me were dosed with Virol as well! I used to love it. We also had Scotts Emulsion which used to make me feel a bit sick. The welfare orange juice was great it used to come in little medicine type bottles.

Judy
 
I suffered from virol for years, it was a terrible disease. My mom used to send me to the 'Welfare' on the Cov near Smalll Heath Park for it. But when the weather was cold it was worse...we had no heating in the house and the only way to get warm was to gather round the polo mint on me dad's tongue. Those were the days when you could get six stone of monkey nuts and still get change out of a farthing.
 
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