syrup of figs

{{Short description|Laxative for constipation}}

File:California Fig Syrup Co "Syrup of Figs" laxative Wellcome L0041192.jpg

Syrup of figs is a formerly proprietary preparation for use as a laxative, now widely available commercially and also easy to make at home. Its ingredients include figs and dried senna pods, both known for their laxative properties, as well as water, sugar and lemon.{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=James |title=Syrup of Figs for Constipation |url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/syrup-of-figs-for-constipation-2109755 |access-date=2022-01-01 |website=Food Network}} The syrup was invented in 1879 by Richard E. Queen{{Cite web |title=Worden v. California Fig Syrup Co., 187 U.S. 516 (1903) |url=https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/187/516/ |access-date=2022-01-01 |website=Justia}} and immediately sold to the California Fig Syrup Company of Reno, Nevada, which manufactured and marketed it thereafter.{{Cite web |last=Lockhart |first=Bill |last2=Schriever |first2=Beau |title=California Fig Syrup: The Company and Its Bottles |url=https://sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/CaliforniaFigSyrup.pdf |access-date=2022-01-01 |website=Society for Historical Archaeology}}

The product was the subject of a lawsuit, Clinton Worden Company v. California Fig Syrup Company, which was decided in favor of the syrup company by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1905.