In chapter 8 of Charles Dickens’s novel Nicholas Nickleby, Mrs. Squeers reminds her husband that it’s “brimstone morning.” The couple forces the boys at their school to consume a concoction of brimstone and treacle as a part of their cruel program. Mr. Squeers refers to the administration of brimstone as a way to “purify the boys.”

Mrs. Squeers takes umbrage with her husband’s description. For Mrs. Squeers, the brimstone represents a far less lofty and much more practical purpose. Mrs. Squeers views the brimstone as a kind of medicine. It’s an antidote to their poor health and trouble-making. It’s also an effective way to save money. Mrs. Squeers notes that the brimstone “spoils” the boys’ appetites and is “cheaper than breakfast and dinner.”

A handful of paragraphs later, Nickleby witnesses Mrs. Squeers dole out the brimstone and treacle to the boys. Nickleby labels the scene “grotesque.” It’s not pleasant to watch. Each boy is “obliged” is to eat their bowl in a “gasp.” In other words, each one must gulp down their full share. They must all take their “medicine,” because, in the opinion of the Squeers, they’re all, more or less, guttersnipes who should be disciplined and domesticated equally and extensively.

If a boy tries to avoid eating his full share of the brimstone and treacle, he will have to deal with physical punishment. Thus, one way or another, the Squeers will make the boys suffer.