Collections : Archives and Special Collections

Antique Glass Medical Bottles
19th and 20th Century
5.5 linear feet

Catalogued by:	Leala Abbott , November 2005
History written by:	Adrienne Millon and Caron Capizzano, 1991
Donation of:	Dr. Arthur Lindner and Elena Lesser Brunn
Received by:	P.W. 11-12-01

HISTORY

In eighteenth and nineteenth century America, glass bottles were often hand-blown. These early bottles were free form and therefore were often irregular, misshapen or asymmetrical, as are some of the bottles in the collection. They were shaped on blow pipes and had to be detached from the pipe when finshed, resulting in a round imprint on the bottom of the bottle known as a 'pontil' mark. Another odd feature of these early bottles was the inconsistency of the amount of liquid a bottle could be expected to hold, but in the early days of glass production Americans apparently accepted this for the sake of being able to conveniently purchase medications without having to provide a container in which to transport them.

The earliest of these bottles were made from natural and which gave the bottles an opaque aquamarine color. Early experimentation with additives resulted in bottles colored green, amber or blue. Cobalt blue glass is a considerably rarer find than the other colors and is a favorite among collectors. Clear glass was not perfected until the late nineteenth century. Shortly thereafter it became popular for use in medical bottles, providing an easy mark for collectors attempting to date glass bottles.

Many of the bottles in the collection contained Patent Medicines. These can date back as far as pre-Revolutionary times, when over-the-counter remedies imported from Great Britain and Europe were sold by many merchants, including postmasters, goldsmiths, grocers and tailors. After America had gained its independence from Great Britain, manufacturers of these products took advantage of rising nationalistic feelings among the populace to promote over-the-counter medications which they claimed were composed of plant products found exclusively in North America.

In 1793, Congress passed patent legislation, which allowed manufacturers to protect their products against counterfeiters. Hence the term "patent medicine" came into common usage. However, most manufacturers were using the same ingredients for their medicines as their competitors. The majority of these products were quack remedies composed in the main of vegetable extracts, alcohol, and narcotic derivatives such as cocaine, morphine, and opium. The main effect of these nostrums was relief from pain. Understandably, the manufacturers did not wish to reveal their ingredients, so they protected their products by patenting the label information, promotional materials, and even the shape of the bottle itself. Patent legislation combined with the rapid growth and distribution of newspapers resulted in a large market for these remedies.

One of the most successful of the patent medicine producers, The Kilmer Company distributed its product through the mail. The company even provided a free urinalysis to potential customers--and would then proceed to recommend Swamp Root to the sick and the well alike. Kilmer's Swamp Root is a classic example of a quack cure, which promised the suffering customer far more than it could ever deliver. However, unlike some patent medicine manufacturers, Kilmer's does list its ingredients on its packaging and admits that alcohol is included in the mix.

Doctors began to speak out against patent medicines as early as 1827. Nevertheless, by mid-century, yearly sales of these products reached a high of millions of dollars. By the turn of the century, however, the public began to favor legislation which would force manufacturers to disclose ingredients and make more realistic claims concerning the effects of patent medicines. The industry received its fatal blow in 1906, when Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act, although a few patent medicines continued to be produced up through the 1950's.
Some products continue to be sold even today, as over the counter remedies. One of them, Father John's Medicine, has undergone a modernization of its packaging since the time it was first produced by Father John O'Brien in Lowell, Massachusetts, but still has retained familiarity by continuing the use of a picture of Father John on a brown bottle.

Most of these historic glass bottles originally contained pharmaceutical ingredients or patent medicines. More than 10,000 types of patent medicine bottles were produced and distributed throughout the United States and Canada between approximately 1850-1906. Historians have estimated that more than 15,000 different medicines were available in these bottles.

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION
The Archives of New York University School of Medicine mounted an Exhibit of Antique Medical Bottles for the 1999-2000 school years. The collection was the generous donation of Dr. Arthur Lindner, retired Associate Dean. In 2001, the Medical Archives received another gift of Antique Medical Bottles courtesy of Elena Lesser- Brun. Both collections consist of glass medical bottles from the Victorian and Modern Era (19th and 20th Century). The exceptions to this being a cardboard box of E.C. DeWitt’s “Dyspepsia Cure” and a small metal box of “Creamalin.” This collection contains both the Linder and Elena Lesser-Brun collections combined consisting of 5.5 linear feet, 2 of those are oversize (Hollinger). Boxes 1-7 boxes are the combined gifts of Linder and Brunn; there is no known information regarding which of these bottles belong specifically to either party. Boxes 8-13 are known to originate from Elena Lesser- Brunn and boxes 14-27 are known to have originated from Dr. Linder (boxes 24-27 contain some of the best pieces in the collection). The remaining 3 boxes are oversize and consist of bottles as well as printed material.

Antique Glass Medical Bottles
(Linder/Brunn combined collections)

BOX
1	Holloways Ointment - for the cure of gout and rheumatism Carter’s Little Liver Pills - A Laxative aiding bile flow Konjola – Mosby Medicine Company Hood’s Sarsatabs – sasparilla in tablet form ER Squibb – Strychnine Sulphate Tinct. Benzoes aeth. Foley & Company Chicago

2	Dr. Miles’ Nervine Murray & Lanman Druggists - Florida Water The Williams and Carleton Company Murine for your eyes Tuttle’e Elixir Company

3	Pain Killing Magic Oil Guy’s Tonic Atwood’s Jaundice Bitters – Moses Atwood Dr. Miles Heart Treatment The Hawk Drug Company Dr King’s New Discovery

4	Lydia E. Pinkham’s Medicine Hemlock Oil Company Dr. Kings New Discovery for Coughs and Colds The Great Dr. Kilmer’s Swamp-Root Kidney, Liver and Bladder cure, specific Severance & Company – College of Pharmacy

5	Milks’ Emulsion Dr. J. A McArthur’s – Syrup of Hypophosphites A.J. White Ltd. Hazeltine & Company - Piso’s Cure For Consumption McNess’ Menthoform – mouth wash and throat lotion

6	Scott’s Emulsion Atwood’s Jaundice Bitters Glovers Imperial Mange Medicine R.V. Pierce, M.D. Sweet’s Liniment

7	Unlabeled – Green long bottle United States Medicine Comapny, New York Table-spoons Dr. Adolf Hommel’s Haematogen – Blood purifier Steadmans Ltd. - Liquid Paraffin Scott’s Emulsion Antique Glass Medical Bottles (Gift of Brunn)

	Antique Glass Medical Bottles (Brunn Collection)
8	Healy & Bigelow Kickapoo Indian Oil, trial size Mrs. Winslow’s soothing syrup, Anglo American Drug co. Dr. McMunn’s Elixir of Opium Atwood’s Jaundice Bitters Formerly Made by Moses ATwood Jadwin’s Subduing Liniment Elliman’s Embrocation

9	Prescribed by RV Pierce M.D. Kilmer’s Swamp Root Kidney Liver and Bladder remedy Piso’s Cure for Consumption – Hazeltine & Company Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral Lee & Osgood Company

10	Registered Full Pint Great Seal - The Styron-Beggs Company Minerva Fletcher’s Castoria (worth $1-$3)

11	Hood’s Sarsaparilla “17” ($25) Pepto-Mangan (Gude) Lydia E. Pinkham’s Medicine Miller’s Haynes Genuine Arabian Balsam (2 bottles)

12	Elepizone A Certain Cure for Fits and Epilepsy – Dr. H.C. Root Fellows and Co. Chemists – St. John N. B. WatkinsSalvation Oil – A.G. Meyer and Company

13	Oxolo Little Giant – “sure death to all kinds of bugs” Dr. J.F. Churchill’s specific remedy for consumption
	Antique Glass Medical Bottles (Linder Collection)
	Tincture of Rhubarb

14	Box – Dyspepsia Cure – E.C. DeWitt and Co. Walter A. Aspinall Pharmacist Williams and Carleton Dr. McKenzies Smelling Salts (2 green bottles)

15	Jadwin’s Subduing Liniment Tincture of Rhubarb Marchand’s Peroxide of Hydrogen (Medicinal)\| Soda Mint Tablets for Dyspepsia, Indigestion, flatulence Trotter Oil and Marrow Cream Dr. Kilmer’s Swamp Kidney Cure Trotter Oil and Marrow cream? (not to be taken) small blue bottle Tincture of Myrrh for the teeth and gums – Thomas Roper

16	Bromo-Seltzer – Emerson Drug Company Sweet Spirit of Nitre Unmarked Blue bottle “m” on bottom Thomas Roper Dispensing Chemists - Poison Atwood’s Jaundice Bitters

17	Atwood’s Jaundice Laxative Chief Wahoo Electric Tonic Bromo-Seltzer – Emerson Drug Company “Not to be taken” small green rectangular bottle Gum Camphor Boots Cash Chemists Tincture of Iodine, B.P. Woodward Chemists London

18	Prescribed by R.B. Pierce MD Abraham and Straus “Not to be Taken” large green rectangular bottle Lungardia Bottled by Jeyes

19	Tincture of Myrrh Grossmith Smelling Salts J. Clapham Botanical Chemists H.K. Mulford Co. Chemists Whitehall Catarrh Remedy – Dr. Pierce Scholler Bros Company

20	S. Grover Graham Dyspepsia Remedy Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription 16 oz. container with inscribed measurements (clear bottle) “4” Chas H Fletcher’s Castoria (2 bottles)

21	Solution Citrate Magnesia Bell-ans for Indigestion due to excess acid Glovers Imperial Medicine H. Clay Glover Company Mid-Victorian Liquid Medicine Rawleigh’s Trademark

22	Dr. Kilmer’s Swamp Root Kidney Liver Atwood’s Jaundice Bitters – Moses Atwood Hay’s Hair Health Plain stoppered bottle (clear glass ) Dr. Kilmer Swamp Root Kidney Liver

23	Whittemore Boston Father John’s Medicine Wilbur F Crawford Apothecary Creamalin (small metal box) Brockway tiny measured glass bottle Charles Isola Pharmacist Henry K Wampole & Company

24	Medical bottle w/ Chinese lettering California Fig Syrup (still in box) G.S. Cheney Co., Liverwort (still in box) Sloan’s Liniment Gelusil Antacid Adsorbent Abbott Labratories Aluminum Hydroxide Gel Dried Watkins Volatyle Salve

25	Schering, Thalamyd Block Drug Company, Super Wernet’s Denture Adhesive Powder Rare Chemicals, Salysal Tablets Glenbrook Labratories, Campho –Phenique Liquid Upjohn Company, Casyllium American White Cross Adhesive Tape Colgate Talc for men Chas W. Phillips, Milk of Magnesia Sloan’s Liniment America’s Laxative Pluto Concentrated and Fortified Spring Water Alacaster’s Indian Vegetable Jaondice Bitters, Col. Sam Johnson

26	Thomas Roper, Spirits Salts Poison Corked Glass Bottle (no label) Lady Hesketh’s Dinner Pill Alacaster’s Indian Vegetable Jaondice Bitters, Col. Sam Johnson United Drug Company, Blaud Modified Pills Davis Sprit of Camphor Verhifugo Nacional De Escovar Giraroot Producto Elaborado, Columbia Dr. Arthur L Duplantis, Gas and Indigestion Remedy (paper box) S.E. Massengill Company, Menthagill Protective Emollient Alcool Rectifie A 90º Edouard Boob, Locteur En Pharmacie

27	Dr. Kilmers, Swamp Root (still in box) Ex-Lax (1.5” x 1.5” metal container) Johnson’s Stomach Tablets (still in sealed box) The American Ferment Company, Caroid and Bile Salts with Pehnolphthalein American Druggists Syndicate, Digestive Tablets (still in box) Father Johns Medicine Shiloh’s Consumption Cure Dr. Atherton’s Wild Cherry Syrup DR. G. H. Tichenor’s Antiseptic Refrigerant
Oversize
1	Brunn Collection Oversize
		Oxol Frank’s Safe Kidney and Liver Cure Louis Sautter Apothecary Linder B.L. Company
	Linder Collection Oversize
		B.L. Company
3		Curity, Cotton Picker metal dispenser Scott’s Emulsion Cod Liver Oil with Lime and Soda S. Grover Graham’s Dyspepsia Cure Milks Emulsion Plain dark amber/brown bottle (7in. x 3in.) Battle & Co. – Papine Lash’s Bitters
	Misc.
		The Kovels’ Bottle Price List, 7th Edition Old Bottle Magazine (March 1975) Bottles: A sampler of collectibles Misc. Articles on Bottles Exhibit Text