Carton of "Lactagol", by E.T. Pearson & Co., Ltd., English, 1920-1955. London Road, Mitcham.

Lactagol is a powdered extract of cotton seed and calcium. It was described by manufacturer E. T. Pearson and Company Limited as ‘a valuable preparation for increasing the supply of milk when taken by the expectant mother’. It was available over the counter. Lactagol could be taken before and after birth to improve the quality and quantity of milk.

The interwar years (1918-1939) saw concerns over the British ‘race’. Attention was on the physical condition and health of children. Nutritionists often focussed on the proper feeding of children. Nutritional supplements were supplied in some areas. Lactagol was promoted as ‘a source of natural strength that exerted a beneficial influence on the organs’. It was taken three times daily mixed with tepid milk.