Godfrey's Cordial was a patent medicine, containing laudanum (tincture of opium) in a sweet syrup, which was commonly used as a sedative to quiet infants and children in Victorian England.[1] Used mostly by mothers working in agricultural groups or industry,[2] it ensured that she could work the maximum hours of her employment, without being disturbed by her infant, and thus increased the family income.[3] It was also used by nurses and baby-minders to enable them to neglect their duties if they wished.[3][4]