Father John’s Medicine

Father John's Medicine is an over-the-counter liquid cough medicine from Oakhurst Company containing dextromethorphan hydrobromide (HBr), an antitussive (cough suppressant). It is intended for the temporary relief of cough due to minor throat and bronchial irritation associated with a cold or inhaled irritants.

The current formulation contains 10 mg of dextromethorphan HBr per 5 mL and contains no alcohol. Father John's Medicine is available as a liquid in 4 oz and 8 oz sizes.

About Father John's Cough Medicine

Father John's Medicine is a traditional cough medicine from Oakhurst Company, with documented roots extending back to Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1855. The product is formulated with dextromethorphan hydrobromide (HBr), an antitussive cough suppressant.

The product available today is a modern over-the-counter formulation. Its active ingredient is dextromethorphan hydrobromide, while several traditional ingredients associated with the product's history, including cod liver oil and licorice, remain present as inactive ingredients in the current formulation.

This distinction is important: the modern product should not be described as the identical formula used in the 19th century.

Product Details

• Product: Father John's Medicine

• Type: Over-the-counter cough medicine

• Form: Liquid

• Route: Oral

• Active ingredient: Dextromethorphan hydrobromide (HBr)

• Strength: 10 mg per 5 mL

• Purpose: Cough suppressant / antitussive

• Use: Temporary relief of cough due to minor throat and bronchial irritation as may occur with a cold or inhaled irritants

• Inactive ingredients: Cod liver oil, glycerin, licorice, sucrose, acacia and flavoring ingredients

• Alcohol: None

• Available sizes: 4 oz and 8 oz

• Labeler: Oakhurst Company

What Is Father John's Medicine Used For?

Father John's Medicine is an oral liquid cough suppressant intended for temporary relief of cough associated with minor throat and bronchial irritation.

The current product uses dextromethorphan HBr as its active cough-suppressant ingredient. Dextromethorphan is the active ingredient identified on the current product labeling.

Father John's Medicine is intended for cough associated with minor throat and bronchial irritation, including irritation that may occur with a cold or inhaled irritants.

Father John's Medicine Ingredients

The current formulation contains dextromethorphan hydrobromide 10 mg per 5 mL as its active ingredient.

Inactive ingredients include:

• Cod liver oil

• Glycerin

• Licorice

• Sucrose

• Acacia

• Flavoring ingredients

Cod Liver Oil in Father John's Medicine

Cod liver oil has a particularly important place in the history of Father John's Medicine.

Historical versions of the product were associated with cod liver oil as a principal traditional ingredient. Cod liver oil also remains in the current formulation, but it is listed as an inactive ingredient rather than the active cough-suppressant ingredient.

The modern product therefore should not be represented as the original 1855 cod liver oil tonic. Its current therapeutic active ingredient is dextromethorphan HBr.

The History of Father John's Medicine

Father John's Medicine has documented historical roots in Lowell, Massachusetts, dating to 1855.

Historical accounts associate the original preparation with the drug business of Carleton & Hovey and with Father John O'Brien, a Catholic priest in Lowell. The preparation became associated with Father John's name and was subsequently manufactured and marketed as a commercial medicine.

Early versions of Father John's Medicine were associated with traditional ingredients including cod liver oil, glycerin, gum arabic and licorice. The product became part of the broader 19th-century American pharmaceutical and patent-medicine trade and was advertised extensively in later decades.

Over its long history, the formulation and manufacturing arrangements changed. The modern product is therefore a continuation of the Father John's Medicine product and brand tradition, not a claim that the current formulation is chemically identical to the preparation first associated with the product in 1855.

Father John's Medicine and Lowell, Massachusetts

Lowell, Massachusetts, is central to the historical identity of Father John's Medicine.

The product's origins are associated with the Carleton & Hovey drug business in Lowell, where the early preparation connected with Father John O'Brien originated.

Historical advertisements, packaging and pharmaceutical records provide evidence of Father John's Medicine as a commercial American remedy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This Lowell connection distinguishes Father John's Medicine from a modern cough medicine that simply happens to use dextromethorphan as its active ingredient.

Father John's Medicine in the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History preserves historical Father John's Medicine objects in its collections.

Smithsonian collection records document historic examples of Father John's Medicine as over-the-counter preparations associated with cough and cold use and connect examples of the product with Lowell, Massachusetts.

The Smithsonian collection provides institutional documentation of Father John's Medicine as part of the history of American medicine, pharmacy and consumer products.

From a 19th-Century Remedy to a Modern OTC Cough Medicine

Father John's Medicine illustrates how a long-established American product can evolve while retaining its historical identity.

The medicine originated in 19th-century Lowell, where early versions were associated with cod liver oil and other traditional ingredients. Over time, its formulation changed to meet modern pharmaceutical requirements.

Today, Father John's Medicine is an over-the-counter liquid cough suppressant containing dextromethorphan HBr. Cod liver oil, licorice and other traditional ingredients remain part of the current product as inactive ingredients.

The historical product and the current formulation are therefore connected by the Father John's Medicine product and brand lineage, while their specific formulations are different.

A Historic American Cough Medicine

From its documented 1855 origins in Lowell, Massachusetts, to its current availability as an over-the-counter liquid cough suppressant, Father John's Medicine has a history spanning more than a century and a half.

Today, Oakhurst Company makes Father John's Medicine available as a 4 oz and 8 oz liquid cough medicine containing dextromethorphan HBr and no alcohol.

It represents a distinctive combination of American pharmaceutical history, traditional product heritage and modern over-the-counter formulation.