Thursday, August 16, 2007

FRIDAY'S HISTORY POST: A Few Things I know...

This is an image of the White City Dog Track that my nan and pop were caretakers of back in their day. I cannot safely say what years they were caretakers there, or if it was pre or post WW2. I do know my mum was little and she has happy memories of living in a house right next to the dog track. It was weatherboard and had a big verandah right around it which was great on hot dry days of Summer. Nan was a wizz with picking dogs for a win..well, that was her story and she was sticking to it right!

UDL - The Original Aussie Mix


Variants:Can: Vodka Lemon, Lime and Soda, Vodka Lime and Soda, Vodka and Raspberry, Vodka and Orange, Vodka and Passionfruit, Gin and Tonic, Gin and Bitter Lemon, Scotch and Cola, Ouzo and Cola( That's my favourite right there!), Sambuca and Cola.
Did you know?UDL was invented by two Aussie mates playing golf together. One would bring a bottle of spirits – the other would bring the mixer and they would mix their drinks on the course. However, one day they had a brainwave – why not sell it pre-mixed in a can? Anyway, it is a nice way to have a drink at a BBQ or down at the beach after a hot Summers Day... consuming responsibly of course!


Lithium was revolutionised here in Melbourne Australia post WW2 by Doctor John Cade. He was living in the grounds of Royal Park Hospital where many a war neurotic patient was being treated....well, treated as best they could be with what was known at the time. At the time, electroconvulsive therapy and the radical lobotomy were all that was known to try to stem the manic episodes patients were experiencing. Dr Cade dug into his own pocket and got some guinea pigs and rabbits and had the nurses obtain urine samples from patients...one was a control patient, one was a schizophrenic patient, one bi-polar or manic depressive as it was known then and the other was from a patient with complete mania. Dr Cade then injected the animals with the urine and recorded some remarkable findings. The animal that had the urine of the bipolar patient died alot earlier. It was found that the urine had concentrated amounts of the compound Urea in it. Through his own findings, it was devised that Lithium Carbonate was the only way to decrease the amount of Urea in the blood of a patient/animal and therefore decrease the amount of psychotic behaviour. Side effects of vomiting and diarrhea and resultant deaths of some patients made this treatment difficult for some medical fraternities to adopt. With careful monitoring of blood levels of patients on this medicine, the patients soon turned from mania or depression to convalescence and out to the real world with family and working. So was born the age of psycho generic medication. A wing of the royal Melbourne Hospital is named after Doctor John Cade...a wonderful attribute to a man that tried to do his best to relive such malaise in those afflicted with psychological problems.

"I believe the brain, like any other organ, can get sick and it can also heal." Dr John Cade.

Cobbledicks Ford was the place I most loved to ride my horse Mabel to. It took about 2 hours to ride there from home and I would take my lunch and a drink of cordial or water with me. There was a steep hill to go down to get to the waters edge there and Mabel would gallop all the way down it to get to the water. She may have been an old mare but she had alot of go in her that's for sure! Once we got to the water she would have a guzzle of it but then she would not set foot in the water. I would go for a swim and have a swing off of the fallen tree you can see there in the image. There was a big old rope to swing off of...like in the movie Bridge to Terabithia..have you seen that movie yet? If not you should, it was great.

I remember as a kid there were a few years in a row that the motorbike gangs would get together and have some sort of major meet over the weekend. Thousands of bikes would take the backroads past our place to get to the Ford and bands were set up and the noise from their loud speakers could be heard all week end. Mum thought it was a bad thing..we thought it was awesome!! They had signs at the front gate "Onions FREE ENTRY"...that meant girls, haha.

The Ford is one of the historic crossing sites along the River built during the 1850's of bluestone. The name Cobbledicks is from the family name of the tenant farmers of the area. Anyway, now I believe the place has "gone to the dogs". People have taken cars there and burnt them out and made a right old mess of it..sad...I hope someone one day could restore it as a great picnic place to go to.
















28 comments:

Steph said...

You missed your calling Caz, you really should have been a history teacher :)

The Stormin Mormon said...

Lithium is one of those crazy ass ways to treat mania...

The dosing used to be: keep increasing it until they feel better, then back it off if they get sick. Of course sick mean on the way to death.

The Stormin Mormon said...

meant...


meant...


I can't type.

phishez said...

I don't like UDLs. I mean, sure they're easy to skull and they get you shite faced pretty quickly, but they're so full of sugar. I feel like my hips are expanding as I drink.

Hewy Nosleep said...

History is fun! Great Blog!

eric1313 said...

Thank you for the valueable post. I love history, and you always have something great for me to learn about. Lithium led them to invent so many more drugs. It really was important.

I haven't seen "Bridge to..." yet, but I read it in fourth grade, and it made me cry. I read the last chapters over and over again because I was just amazed that something I read could be that powerful. I wanted to be a writer back then, decided it sitting there reading that book. The emotion and loss, then recognition that nothing is lost, everything is gained even though...

OK, not everyone has seen it, so I'll stop right here.

Take care, Cazzie!!!
peace out

Coffespaz said...

UDL: Sounds yummy. I'll definitely put that on my list for when I visit Australia.

Lithium: Cool! I had no idea how that started as a treatment.

the Ford: That's a neat story! It is a shame that the place has been messed up, but maybe you could organize a clean up group to put it right again.

The track: Neat picture. I bet your mom had fun picking the winners while sipping lemonade on the porch!


PS Pop by my page when you get a moment, I have a surprise for you.

Jay said...

Why not sell the drinks already mixed? Brilliant!!!!

A Slice of My Life said...

My girlfriends and I used to buy little mixed drinks and bring them to the beach with us. Then we would play "grab bag" and just drink whatever concoction we pulled out. Mixing all those drinks made for some interesting hangovers. Kids can be so dumb...

Great history lesson as always

rosemary said...

We had a dog track about 90 miles from us but dog racing was banned years ago.

We have several variants of UDL here, marguritas already mixed and hard lemonade.

Lithium is a godsend to many bipolar folks. Of course it only works when they consistently take it...and mania is a hard thing to give up.

general_boy said...

Onions! Ha! Never heard that one before Cazzie!! LOL

Pat said...

Great post! Ouzo and cola? Whuddathunkit! Never had it, but I'm sure I'd like it. How awesome that you had such a great place to ride your horse to! Shame it's trashed now - I'm with you, here's hoping someone will clean it up soon!

captain corky said...

"consuming responsibly of course!"

Of course Cazzie. ;)

Enjoyed the lesson. What kind of fish do they have in that river?

Mom said...

Great history lesson. thanks
I cried like a big baby after watching Bridge to Terabithia. Great movie.

Stace said...

Did you know that Bridge to Terabithia was a book first? I read it years ago, in early highschool, and loved it. I haven't seen the movie yet, I'm still trying to convince Aidan even though I'm fairly sure he won't like it much!

Pat said...

Okay - the closest immitation I could come up with this morning (no alcohol in the house - I must rememdy that!), was anise extract and cinnamon in my morning coffee this morning!

Not at all the same thing!!....

Anonymous said...

Not since my high school days has my liver had to deal with the Paint thinner and coke mix, affectionately known as UDL... SOme of the mellon ones are ok though...

It is amazing how much Australia has brough to the scentific comunity in 200 years, bionic ears, radar, heaps for the dair industry...

A good history to research, AUstralian contribution to the wine industry. Rubber corks, bloadders for shipping wine by sea. Some very cool stuff:)

Cazzie!!! said...

Steph....haha, thanks muchly :) At school, the only thing we learned was about our short 200year history here in Australia..that is..only the appointed white man's curriculum. The real learning is after you finish school and realise what you missed.

Stormin', yes, too right you are. Lithium was also marketed in salt form in shakers for people in the USA..thing is, it killed so many people that when Lithium was then first marketed as the psych drug..the community was very rightly reluctant to accept it as treatment.

Phishez, OMG..so that's my problem (winks) I have one can or so every couple of weeks I reckon, that's it.

Hewy, why ty.

Eric, yeah, we all blubbered like babies when we watched the flick. Now I know it is a book I will get it for the kids.

Coffeespazz....(blushes) thnks so much. I am glad you liked my post here. It was a brainstorm of many things I know about..and more to come.

Jay...I am guessing golf and fishing are two things that get people thinking laterally..or maybe just inspire creative minds perhaps. So many of these activities seem to activate a creative streak in one's mind.

A Slice...well, I might have to start playing grab bag..it sounds more funner than strip poker or spin the bottle..whaaaattt..did I say that? LOL

Rosemary..yep. I am not givng up on my mania..LOL...but I know what you mean. We get to see reoccuring offenders at work that are non compliant with their psych meds...off the rails..off tap so to speak for sure.

GB, hahaha, I know, almost as bad as the names "Bodgie and Widgies" haha.

EC, yeah, it would be great to have it resurected as a picnic place to go to...wonders if a club might be in store to do it as a community?

Captain, well, when there was alot of water in it, the river used to give some kinds trout. Now, there is a drought and alot of the water has just not been replenished by the sky I am afraid. It will probably take a good 5 years of good seasonal rans to replenish what is needed here.

QOD, man in a can perhaps, LOL.

Mom..me too :(

Stace, I never knew it until my commentors mentioned it and now I must go buy it from my fav bookstore asap. I always buy books relating to movies..I would rather have the books first but I missed out on this book due to the fact I'd never heard of it before the flick came out.

Aidan, we got a 6 pack o ouzo and cola the other week. In it was a mix of some melon ones..by mistake, I didn't mind the passionfruit infused one, but again, as Phishez says, they are so sweet...I am a savoury person ususally.

Re our Aussie inventions...we have such an amazing history here don't we.... the medical ones make me proud also.

butterflies said...

Wow!! It never ceases to amaze me how MUCH you know:)
I love reading your blog and learning about Oz.
Thanks Girl:)

gawilli said...

That was a lot of lessons all packed into one. Riding to the river seems like a wonderful way to spend the day. "Onions Free Entry" I love it.

Betty said...

I love your history lessons.

Keshi said...

u r doing such a great job here Caz!

Keshi.

G-Man said...

Hey Cazzie,
I been out of town, but I just had to come back for the lesson...
Thanks Sweetie..Galen xoxoxc

Crabby said...

Onions = girls.

Every time I come here, I learn something. LOL!

poody said...

wow I had no idea about the Lithium. I know what you mean about people messing up the countryside. Here in Texas the motto is "Don't mess with Texas" I also love the idea of buying the vodka with mix already in it. Now those guys are geniuses!

Dan said...

How do you know all of this stuff Cazzie?? I'm amazed! You're not supposed to know so much in the blogosphere. It makes me look bad! :)

Fascinating history of lithium.

jillie said...

Pretty much vodka and anything will suit me fine...lol! Although mixed with the passion fruit sounds might scrumptious!

Cazzie!!! said...

Butterflies, no worries.

Gawilli, I loved riding to the river or riding over the mount that we lived right next to. The Mount looks small, but when you actually go over it, it is quite large and lovely once on top.

Betty, thanks so much, I love the things you write about too..from the heart.

Keshi, you also do a great job Keshi..huggs.

Galen, no worries, huggs Cazzie.

Crabby, hahha, I know it, I laughed my head off when my mum explained the sign that was there..painted in red on a piece of old timber, "Onions" haha.

Poody, Don't mess with Texas..very good..so I could make stickers "Don't mess with the ford" yeah? Great idea.

Dan Dan Dan..you always come trough with the goods mate..everytime you post something it is such a worthwhile read...of course unless it is a post from your adorable cat..lol

Jillie, the passionfruit is yummy for sure!