Fisherman's Friend
Encyclopedia
Fisherman's Friend is a brand of strong menthol lozenges
produced by Lofthouse company in Fleetwood
, Lancashire
, England
.
named James Lofthouse in 1865 to relieve various respiratory
problems suffered by fishermen working in the extreme conditions of the Iceland
ic deep-sea fishing
grounds. Though he originally developed it as an extremely strong liquid remedy containing menthol
and eucalyptus
oil, Lofthouse later made this liquid into small lozenges which were easier to transport and to administer. According to the manufacturer, the fishermen soon began to refer to the lozenges as their "friends", hence the name. The lozenges exist in their current form relatively unchanged since their creation except that they used to contain creosote
and no longer do. The lozenges still come in paper packets, although these are now foil-lined and sometimes packaged inside a cardboard carton.
It also bears the statement that it contains only natural ingredients and that no preservatives are added.
The Lofthouse have won the Queen's Award to Industry for Export Achievement three times. Fisherman's Friend lozenges are also suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Throat lozenge
A throat lozenge, cough drop, troche, or cough sweet is a small, medicated tablet intended to be dissolved slowly in the mouth to temporarily stop coughs and lubricate and soothe irritated tissues of the throat , possibly from the common cold or influenza...
produced by Lofthouse company in Fleetwood
Fleetwood
Fleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
Fisherman's Friend was originally developed by a young pharmacistPharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
named James Lofthouse in 1865 to relieve various respiratory
Respiratory system
The respiratory system is the anatomical system of an organism that introduces respiratory gases to the interior and performs gas exchange. In humans and other mammals, the anatomical features of the respiratory system include airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles...
problems suffered by fishermen working in the extreme conditions of the Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic deep-sea fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
grounds. Though he originally developed it as an extremely strong liquid remedy containing 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...
and eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
oil, Lofthouse later made this liquid into small lozenges which were easier to transport and to administer. According to the manufacturer, the fishermen soon began to refer to the lozenges as their "friends", hence the name. The lozenges exist in their current form relatively unchanged since their creation except that they used to contain creosote
Creosote
Creosote is the portion of chemical products obtained by the distillation of a tar that remains heavier than water, notably useful for its anti-septic and preservative properties...
and no longer do. The lozenges still come in paper packets, although these are now foil-lined and sometimes packaged inside a cardboard carton.
Ingredients
Original lozenges contain the following ingredients as listed:- Liquorice
- Edible StarchStarchStarch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
- Edible GumGum-Natural gums:* Natural gum, any of a number of naturally occurring resinous materials in vegetative species* Gum anima* Gum arabic, used as food additive, adhesive et al.* Cassia gum* Dammar gum* Gellan gum* Guar gum* Kauri gum* Locust bean gum* Spruce gum...
- MentholMentholMenthol 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...
(0.9%) - Eucalyptus OilEucalyptus oilEucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from the leaf of Eucalyptus, a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae native to Australia and cultivated worldwide. Eucalyptus oil has a history of wide application, as a pharmaceutical, antiseptic, repellent, flavouring, fragrance and industrial uses...
(0.15%) - Capsicum tincture
It also bears the statement that it contains only natural ingredients and that no preservatives are added.
Availability
Fisherman's Friends are now available in over a hundred countries, in a variety of flavours, some of which are only available in certain countries. Lofthouse provides a mail order service allowing UK residents to obtain some of the more exotic or difficult to find flavours. Some flavours are sugar-free, for which the bags are striped:- Original Extra Strong
- Aniseed
- Super Strong Mint
- Sugar-free (using sorbitolSorbitolSorbitol, also known as glucitol, Sorbogem® and Sorbo®, is a sugar alcohol that the human body metabolizes slowly. It can be obtained by reduction of glucose, changing the aldehyde group to a hydroxyl group. Sorbitol is found in apples, pears, peaches, and prunes...
)- Original Low Sugar
- CitrusCitrusCitrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
- LemonLemonThe lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
- BlackcurrantBlackcurrantBlackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....
- MintMenthaMentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...
- AppleAppleThe apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
and CinnamonCinnamonCinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods... - Strong SalmiakSalmiakkiSalty liquorice, also known as salmiak or salmiakki is a variety of liquorice flavoured with ammonium chloride, common in Netherlands, Nordic Countries, Baltic States and Northern Germany. Ammonium chloride gives salty liquorice an astringent, salty taste , which has been described as...
(Selected European Markets) - CherryCherryThe cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
- Spicy MandarinMandarin orangeThe orange, also known as the ' or mandarine , is a small citrus tree with fruit resembling other oranges. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain or in fruit salads...
- Sweet liquorice
The Lofthouse have won the Queen's Award to Industry for Export Achievement three times. Fisherman's Friend lozenges are also suitable for vegetarians and vegans.