What a fun question. One of the famous “crazy drugs” would be Tar Cough Syrup, known for its use of chloroform. We have normal ones like Emily Jane Sneyd, which was mostly almond, nutmeg, and saffron oils, rubbed on the child.

Similar to today herbal chews would be used and Victorian era hot toddys- liqource, raisins, and rum were used.

And finally straight outta the book on my desk and sited to Bodleian Library Special Collections, MS Eng Misc es 49. f. 6r. “Mrs Cotton suggested a mixture of liquorice, vinegar, salad oil, treacle, and tincture of opium when ‘the cough is troublesome’” Opium was good as an analgesic aswell as a cough surpressent, (still is which is where you get the cough syrup with codeine in lean).

Most of the stuff, pre1900 (which is what I’ve mentioned) was herbal. “Drug” actually comes from the name of the vat that would hold the herbs and tinctures when being shipped. The more powerful medicines had come up in popularity, opium and cocaine being what people like to talk about, and experimental and now seen as unwise procedures like those containing chloroform. The ones that worked went on to be our “go to” today like the herbs and chicken soup. The dangerous ones got thrown out like chloroform and other nasty chemicals, and the “good stuff” realized it’s addictive potential and was slowly phased out and replaced for minor illnesses.

Other later medicines included cigarettes, camphor/laxative lozenges, and belladonna (from nightshades now none to be painkilling, coma inducing, hallucinogenic, and deadly in the right dose) all were 1940s medicines. These lasted 1940s ones in particular sited to https://insider.si.edu/2015/01/six-cold-flu-medicines-youre-not-taking-today-good-reason/