May Days are Gay Days (NPG IV)

Oh, I forgot about this fascinating bit of Americana until I looked at the notes I keep in my pocket. Again it was something seen at the National Portrait Gallery, this time in a exhibit of "Folk Art".

The displayed work was a year's worth of pages taken from a large-format promotional calendar (the year was 1947) provided by a drugs company. It's purpose in the exhibit was as a record of a family's life, since the calendar had been used to note events and nearly everyone's birthday.

I, of course, was more interested in the various advertisements for laxatives that decorated the calendar. For instance, under a drawing of happily playing children, this reassurance (and guess what first caught my eye):

May Days are Gay Days

…but a child can't be happy if it is slowed up by the need of a laxative.

See if your youngsters aren't delighted with the pleasant taste of Syrup of Black-Draught — The Children's Laxative (May 1947)

I was fascinated by two things. One was simply using the Victorian "it" to refer to a child*. The other is the euphemism "slowed up by the need of a laxative". Now, why should one assume in a laxative advertisement that it is universally known why one might be in need of a laxative?

Also, do you think the name "Syrup of Black-Draught" strongly suggests a "pleasant taste"?

But wait! There's more. Here in February 1947, we find a dashing young man exclaiming

You're Right! It's always Black-Draught when I need a good laxative.

To my crazed mind, the question that immediately pops in is: When does one need only a fair-to-middlin' laxative? (Not to mention: What, exactly, makes a laxative good?)
———-
*A usage I'd be happy to return to for children, and one I might even encourage using in place of the vile "their" as a singular, non-gender-specific form so popular today.

Posted on July 27, 2006 at 13.27 by jns · Permalink
In: All, Laughing Matters

One Response

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  1. Written by S.W. Anderson
    on Friday, 28 July 2006 at 18.26
    Permalink

    I'm with you on how atrocious it usually is to use "their" to placate those who will charge a writer with chauvinism for using the editorial masculine articles, "his," "he," etc. It's intimidation in the service of absurd political correctness.

    I didn't know the cited use of "it" was Victorian practice. Actually, the line reads better without "it is":

    "but a child can't be happy if slowed up by the need of a laxative."

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