Dictionary of Sydney
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The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Bex Powders

Domestic item

A compound analgesic that comprised aspirin, phenacetin and caffeine produced from the 1920s by Beckers Pty Ltd. All APC compounds were banned in 1977 after the discovery of its harmful effects.

Property
Owned by
Beckers Pty Ltd
Type
Domestic item

Bex Powders

CC BY-SA 2.0
by
Kim Hanna
,
2016
Bex Powders, or Bex APC, were over-the-counter painkillers developed by Beckers Pty Ltd in Adelaide in the 1930s and manufactured in Sydney from the 1960s. Although there were a number of similar products on the market Bex Powders were so popular the brand became a cultural icon. The powders, which were often overused, were found to cause cancer and kidney failure and were banned in the 1970s.
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