science

Synthol (mouthwash)

Synthol (mouthwash) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Synthol (mouthwash) rather than just read about it. In short: Synthol is a liquid medical product brand available in France since 1920, though the nature of the product has changed through the brand's history. 1920s Synthol was developed by Maurice Bunau-Varilla, a prominent newspaper publisher of the early twentieth century, as a tonic. He promoted it as a cure-all tonic.

Key takeaways

Synthol (mouthwash) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Synthol (mouthwash) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Synthol (mouthwash) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Synthol is a liquid medical product brand available in France since 1920, though the nature of the product has changed through the brand's history.

1920s Synthol was developed by Maurice Bunau-Varilla, a prominent newspaper publisher of the early twentieth century, as a tonic. He promoted it as a cure-all tonic.

Chloral hydrate based formula The brand was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline. Formerly the formula consisted of chloral hydrate, menthol, veratrol, resorcinol and salicylic acid. Sold mainly as a mouthwash in a distinctive black carton, it is also packaged as a gel and spray for the treatment of muscular pain(s).

Today Following a rupture in supply 2014–2015 the product returned to French pharmacies in June 2016 with the same composition, minus chloral hydrate, now banned, and with the indication "mouthwash" («bain de bouche») removed. Among the new uses of the reformulation is endorsement of the Synthol gel as an umbilical cord antiseptic.

SyntholKiné A similarly named but unrelated product named SyntholKiné was launched by Glaxo in 2015.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Synthol (mouthwash)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Synthol (mouthwash) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Synthol (mouthwash) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Synthol (mouthwash) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Synthol (mouthwash)

In research: Synthol (mouthwash) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Synthol (mouthwash) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Synthol (mouthwash) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Drugs developed by GSK plc, Oral hygiene products, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Synthol (mouthwash) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Synthol (mouthwash)” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Synthol (mouthwash) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Synthol (mouthwash) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Synthol (mouthwash) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Synthol (mouthwash) in simple terms?

Synthol is a liquid medical product brand available in France since 1920, though the nature of the product has changed through the brand's history. 1920s Synthol was developed by Maurice Bunau-Varilla, a prominent newspaper publisher of the early twentieth century, as a tonic. He promoted it as a c…

Why does Synthol (mouthwash) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Synthol (mouthwash)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Synthol (mouthwash).