Bex was a strong compound analgesic which was popular in Australia for much of the twentieth century. It came in the form of A.P.C. (aspirin–phenacetin–caffeine) tablets or powder, containing 42% aspirin, 42% phenacetin, plus caffeine.
Bex was a product of Beckers Pty Ltd. of Pym Street, Dudley Park, South Australia. It was advertised with the phrase, "Stressful Day? What you need is a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down". Bex powders were the housewife's drug of choice in the 1950s and 1960s until they were shown to be highly addictive and found by Dr. Kincaid-Smith to be responsible for causing kidney disease when taken in large doses. It has also been linked to kidney cancer.
Place in popular culture
A Cup of Tea, a Bex and a Good Lie Down was a comedy revue that opened at Sydney's Phillip Street Theatre on 18 September 1965. It was the longest running show at the Theatre in 1966 and was performed over 250 times during its extended run. The cast included John Ewart, Gloria Dawn, Ruth Cracknell and Reg Livermore. The play was written by John McKellar.
The expression "A cup of tea, a Bex, and a good lie down" had gained currency through much of Australia in the post-World War II period when aspirin became readily available. McKellar's play reinforced the phrase "and the title quickly became a common Australian saying". It was often used in the pejorative and abbreviated form "go and take a Bex" to indicate to an over enthusiastic person that they should take a more relaxed attitude to the subject being discussed, or to soothe a frazzled housewife. As such, in Australia, it has currency in bar room discussions, particularly where one person became animated in expressing a point of view that was contrary to the general view point of the group. In September 2011 former Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, told the media, "I just think it would be a good thing if everyone seriously had a cup of tea and a Bex and a long lie down, OK?" over reports of his possible challenge to his leader, the incumbent Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.