# What was 'BZ', purchased in drugstores in the 1930's?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bz-purchased-in-drugstores-in-the-1930s/745250>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 5, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bz-purchased-in-drugstores-in-the-1930s/745250 "2016-02-05T18:27:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![MsJinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@MsJinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsJinx)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bz-purchased-in-drugstores-in-the-1930s/745250/21 "2016-02-07T16:54:20Z")

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My friend transcribes them (there are three, from different people/different years), and only posts photos if there is something she can’t read. I will check to see if the first mention of BZ was shown, but here is a sample of the text:

Gladys’ diary, January 1 1939: “Sunday. Bought B.Z. I’m afraid we started something to day. Had some whiskie at Mom’s to nite. Stayed home all day. Ate at Moms”

My friend types exactly what she sees - and we followers sometimes hash it out in the comments if the diary writer wasn’t clear or left a word out. This one has become pretty boring, but has it’s odd surprises, like when Gladys’ husband gave her the gift that keeps on giving on their first anniversary: crabs. She went to the drugstore for something other than B.Z. that time.

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bz-purchased-in-drugstores-in-the-1930s/745250/22 "2016-02-07T19:02:53Z")

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I’d vote for “BZ” being a code for Benzedrine. This blog even refers to it as “Vitamin BZ”.

> **[Benzedrine – Ol' Hound Dog Beer](https://olhounddogbeer.wordpress.com/tag/benzedrine/)**
>
> Posts about Benzedrine written by

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bz-purchased-in-drugstores-in-the-1930s/745250/23 "2016-02-07T20:14:56Z")

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Just what this world needs, beer with speed in it.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bz-purchased-in-drugstores-in-the-1930s/745250/24 "2016-02-07T21:17:53Z")

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> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> I’d vote for “BZ” being a code for Benzedrine. This blog even refers to it as “Vitamin BZ”.
> 
> [Benzedrine | Ol' Hound Dog Beer](https://olhounddogbeer.wordpress.com/tag/benzedrine/)

That link led me to [Mad Dog | Ol' Hound Dog Beer](https://olhounddogbeer.wordpress.com/2015/06/14/mad-dog/)

It was the Merkin Muffley connection mostly. That made me think of [http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0036986/?ref\_=fn\_al\_ch\_1](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0036986/?ref_=fn_al_ch_1)

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-bz-purchased-in-drugstores-in-the-1930s/745250/25 "2016-02-08T02:46:29Z")

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> [@Ike\_Witt](#):
>
> Just what this world needs, beer with speed in it.

I’ve heard of caffeinated beer, and even chocolate flavored beer.

:eek:

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