[1] In the Cowlairs district of Glasgow one such apothecary, named Adam Laidlaw, had a premises on Keppochhill Road.

He devised a mix of aspirin, phenacetin and caffeine to combat colds, headaches and many other problems: a true panacea.

By 1900, he was selling an average of 450 to 500 powders per week, and had obtained a fame somewhat wider than the natural catchment area of his pharmacy.

In 1917, he asked a local accountant, John McRobbie, for advice on setting up a company to start making the powder in greater quantities.

It was registered the next day, and added as the name of their purpose-built factory on Saracen Street in the Possilpark district.

[5] In 1971, they began a simple and effective TV advertising campaign: Askit Fights the Miseries, featuring characters such as the sore back, and morning after.