1950's, 1960's Sibu
My paternal Grandmother Siew was fond of giving brain tonic to my aunts. So did many others who could afford to buy the tonic. Most elderly Foochow women patronised Tien Seng Tong (the owner was surnamed Chang, a Cantonese) although Chew Hock Choon was the most popular Chinese Drug Store at that time.
My Grandmother Siew was particularly driven to help my aunts do well in their academic pursuits. But she was also very knowledgeable in all sorts of herbal cures. Many women came to ask for her advise. She was also very good in giving my grandfather tonic soups which he enjoyed tremendously. Perhaps that was why he lived a very healthy life until the very end.
Brain tonic, as shown in the photo, (from Google) was a must have item in the kitchen cupboard in those days. Mothers were proud to be able to tell friends they had bought a bottle of the tonic for their children.
I did cheekily ask some of them if the tonic had made their children No. 1 in the class. Tou Miang Gor. (First Name Brother).
My mother on the other hand insisted that we children ate proper food, and studied hard. Played a few games and stayed home. She never allowed to stay up late whenever we studied for she believed that lack of sleep caused head aches and poor eye sight.
Occasionally our brain tonic was a wonderful bowl of steamed pig's brains.
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