Back when we were kids in the 50's, our mother gave us Vick's cough syrup. It was some brown stuff that was pretty strong. I don't know what was in it, but it burned going down. We also used to put Vick's vapo-rub up our noses, and swallow a drop of it when our throats were sore. If the glands in our neck were swollen, she'd rub it on our throats and chest, and wrap a piece of flannel around our necks. And back then, she put Vick's in the vaporizer we had. We all survived. We didn't have a car, and the doctor still made house calls, but he was never called for normal childhood illnesses. I used to get a lot of ear infections, and he'd come to give me a shot of penicillin in my butt from time-to-time. No disposable syringes back then.
I believe Vicks Formula 44 had licorice root in it, and codeine to suppress cough, and yes, it did burn going down