Victory V lozenges were devised by Dr Edward Smith in 1864. He originally made them by hand and gave them to his patients to cure various ailments. As demand increased, he began selling them.
Smith took over a bankrupt drug factory (Thomas Fryer and Co) in Nelson, Lancashire for £1,000, and began manufacturing his lozenges commercially. His younger brother William Carruthers Smith joined the company as manager.
The lozenges – which originally contained ether and chloroform in the ingredients – were first known as ‘Victory Chlorodyne Lozenges’, then ‘Linseed Liquorice V Lozenge Victory’. The patented remedy then became a confection.
By 1911, the lozenges had become ‘Victory V’.
The flat rock-hard liquorice-flavoured khaki-coloured tablets were designed to be sucked slowly to relieve sore throats and “clear your tubes”.
The Victory V factory was demolished in 1988. The company was acquired by Trebor Bassett in 1992.
The lozenges are still manufactured by Ernest Jackson & Co. Ltd. in Crediton, Devon, and are available in chemists and specialist sweet shops in the UK (and online).
They no longer contain chloroform or ether.
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Smith took over a bankrupt drug factory (Thomas Fryer and Co) in Nelson, Lancashire for £1,000, and began manufacturing his lozenges commercially. His younger brother William Carruthers Smith joined the company as manager.
