Buckley's
Encyclopedia
W.K. Buckley Limited is a Canadian
corporation
founded in 1920, by W.K. Buckley, that manufactures medicines
for health problems such as the common cold
. They also have children's medicine which are sold under the brand Jack & Jill. The company is located in Mississauga, Ontario
.
In 1978, after W.K. Buckley's death, his son Frank Buckley became the president
of the company. In the mid-1980s, Frank became spokesperson promoting the "It Tastes Awful. And It Works." slogan
, which became, and still is, very successful.
Novartis
, the Swiss
-based conglomerate with 2005 sales of $32 billion, purchased ownership of the Buckley's brand and formulas in 2002.
, and still produced today. Noted for its strongly unpleasant taste, its ingredients include ammonium carbonate
, potassium bicarbonate
, camphor
, menthol
, Canada balsam
(Abies balsamea
), pine needle oil
, and a tincture
of capsicum
. It is promoted for relief of coughs and sore throats for up to six hours.
Taken as a liquid, Buckley's DM contains the antitussive dextromethorphan
as a hydrobromide salt
as an active ingredient. This acts on the nervous system to raise the threshold for coughing, thereby alleviating symptoms. Some "Cough and Cold" remedies have been made containing pseudoephedrine
as a nasal
decongestant
to help with the relief of cold symptoms.
Herbal components of the remedy work by counterstimulation
, and perhaps by other mechanisms. Capsaicin
, for instance, is known to act as an analgesic with long-term use, which could help dull the pain of a sore throat.
Only some of the Buckley's formulations contain dextromethorphan. The original, without DM, may be purchased. However, recreational use of Buckley's is uncommon, due to the deterrent effects of its taste.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
founded in 1920, by W.K. Buckley, that manufactures medicines
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
for health problems such as the common cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
. They also have children's medicine which are sold under the brand Jack & Jill. The company is located in Mississauga, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
In 1978, after W.K. Buckley's death, his son Frank Buckley became the president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the company. In the mid-1980s, Frank became spokesperson promoting the "It Tastes Awful. And It Works." slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
, which became, and still is, very successful.
Novartis
Novartis
Novartis International AG is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland, ranking number three in sales among the world-wide industry...
, the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
-based conglomerate with 2005 sales of $32 billion, purchased ownership of the Buckley's brand and formulas in 2002.
Buckley's Mixture
Buckley's Mixture is a cough syrup invented in 1919 in Sydney, Nova ScotiaSydney, Nova Scotia
Sydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
, and still produced today. Noted for its strongly unpleasant taste, its ingredients include ammonium carbonate
Ammonium carbonate
Ammonium carbonate is a commercial salt with the chemical formula 2CO3. It is used when crushed as a smelling salt. It can be crushed when needed in order to revive someone who has fainted...
, potassium bicarbonate
Potassium bicarbonate
Potassium bicarbonate , is a colorless, odorless, slightly basic, salty substance...
, camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
, menthol
Menthol
Menthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring in nature is -menthol, which is assigned...
, Canada balsam
Canada balsam
Canada balsam, also called Canada turpentine or balsam of fir, is a turpentine which is made from the resin of the balsam fir tree of boreal North America...
(Abies balsamea
Balsam Fir
The balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States .-Growth:It is a small to medium-size evergreen tree typically tall, rarely to tall, with a narrow conic crown...
), pine needle oil
Pine oil
Pine oil is an essential oil obtained by the steam distillation of needles, twigs and cones from a variety of species of pine, particularly Pinus sylvestris....
, and a tincture
Tincture
A tincture is an alcoholic extract or solution of a non-volatile substance . To qualify as a tincture, the alcoholic extract is to have an ethanol percentage of at least 40-60%...
of capsicum
Capsicum
Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...
. It is promoted for relief of coughs and sore throats for up to six hours.
Mode of action
Dextromethorphan
Dextromethorphan is an antitussive drug. It is one of the active ingredients in many over-the-counter cold and cough medicines, such as Robitussin, NyQuil, Dimetapp, Vicks, Coricidin, Delsym, and others, including generic labels. Dextromethorphan has also found other uses in medicine, ranging...
as a hydrobromide salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
as an active ingredient. This acts on the nervous system to raise the threshold for coughing, thereby alleviating symptoms. Some "Cough and Cold" remedies have been made containing pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine is a sympathomimetic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes. It is used as a nasal/sinus decongestant and stimulant, or as a wakefulness-promoting agent....
as a nasal
Human nose
The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...
decongestant
Decongestant
A decongestant or nasal decongestant is a type of drug that is used to relieve nasal congestion.-Pharmacology:The vast majority of decongestants act via enhancing norepinephrine and epinephrine or adrenergic activity by stimulating the α-adrenergic receptors...
to help with the relief of cold symptoms.
Herbal components of the remedy work by counterstimulation
Counterstimulation
Counterstimulation is a treatment for pain, based on distraction.A basic example is the practice of rubbing a fresh bruise, so that attention is paid to the sense of touch and pressure, rather than to the pain of the injury...
, and perhaps by other mechanisms. Capsaicin
Capsaicin
Capsaicin 2CHCH=CH4CONHCH2C6H3-4--3- ) is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact...
, for instance, is known to act as an analgesic with long-term use, which could help dull the pain of a sore throat.
Potential abuse
Many cough medications, including Buckley's, have become popular as recreational drugs in recent years. Due to the dissociative properties of dextromethorphan, high doses of cough medication can be used to produce an intoxication. Only 100 mg of dextromethorphan is needed to create a euphoric effect. The lethal dose is between 2,000 mg and 20,000 mg.Only some of the Buckley's formulations contain dextromethorphan. The original, without DM, may be purchased. However, recreational use of Buckley's is uncommon, due to the deterrent effects of its taste.