What is "brompton cocktail"

Brompton's mixture \Bromp"ton's mixture\, Brompton mixture \Bromp"ton mixture\, Brompton's cocktail \Bromp"ton's cocktail\, Brompton cocktail \Bromp"ton cocktail\, n. [from Brompton Hospital, London.](Pharmacy) A mixture containing morphine and cocaine, and sometimes other narcotic substances, such as heroin, in an alcoholic solution, administered mostly to terminally ill patients, especially cancer patients, to relieve severe pain. Its use is not universally accepted as good medical practice.

Brompton cocktail — sometimes called a Brompton mixture, Brompton's cocktail — is an elixir meant for use as a pain suppressant, and dosed for prophylaxis. Made from morphine or diacetylmorphine (heroin), cocaine, highly-pure ethyl alcohol (some recipes specify gin), and sometimes with chlorpromazine (Thorazine) to counteract nausea, it was given to terminally-ill individuals (especially cancer patients) to relieve pain and promote sociability near death. A common formulation included "a variable amount of morphine, 10 mg of cocaine, 2.5 mL of 98% ethyl alcohol, 5 mL of syrup BP and a variable amount of chloroform water."