When a cocktail was the best medicine
Regarding Dom Pérignon on prescription (Letters, 1 May), when I was a pharmacist apprentice in the 1960s, we were able to dispense a Brompton cocktail. This was primarily alcohol laced with morphine and cocaine, and was used to alleviate pain and distress in terminally ill patients. It was stored under lock and key. We humble apprentices were permitted to compound it, but only in the eagle-eyed presence of the pharmacist.
Chris Osborne
West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire
Re having shoes on or off at home (Polly Hudson, 30 April), while on holiday in Scandinavia several years go, I noticed that every home I visited had a bag of felt slippers in graduated sizes. They were for guests to use, and were warm and comfortable. I brought some home and hung them up. None of our visitors want to use them and it feels slightly un-British to imply that their feet might be dirty.
Duncan Grimmond
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Private eye clinics are reportedly making 'eye‑watering' profits doing cataracts for the NHS (Profits from NHS England eye care outsourcing same as 100 PFI contracts, research finds, 4 May). I do hope that word was chosen deliberately.
Cassy Firth
Leeds
Dark chocolate digestive, dunked in decent white coffee until the chocolate just starts to yield to the temperature, eat chocolate side down (Letters, 5 May). Who knew there was any other way to eat them.
Stephen Bassey
Porthtowan, Cornwall
I eat chocolate digestives both ways – depends which end of the packet I open.
Frank Haines
Devoran, Cornwall
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