Catalog (120)

Each vial measures approximately 1.5 inches in length including the cork. The vials are nestled in the leather case, and each vial sports a small paper label. The fitted case measures 10.5" long x 2" wide x 3.5" high and shows wear commensurate with age and use. Modest wear and loss to the flap closure is noted with general wear and mild loss of material.

A wonderful representation of late 19th century homeopathic medicine!

First is a robust 8" size early 1900s Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten POTASSIUM SALICYLATE stock bottle.

Bottle #2 is a 7 inch high Merck ANTIMONY CHLORIDE formerly used in veterinary medicine as a dehorning agent.

Bottle #3 CALCIUM CHLORIDE, is 6 inches tall and was used as a source of calcium in foods, paper manufacture and chemistry to mention a few.

Item #4 ACID PICRIC was used in medicine as an antiseptic and for the treatment of burns. It measures 3.5 inches.

Bottle #5 GUAIACOL CARBONATE from Powers & Weightman measures 5 inches high and was used as an expectorant and disinfectant.

Bottle #6 HYDROCYANIC ACID measures 4.5 inches and was used as a pesticide. Empty.

Bottle #7 EMETINE from Sharpe & Dohme measures a mere 2 inches tall and is an emetic.

Finally, a 5 inch bottle #8 LEAD OXIDE was used in the building trade.

All the bottles are in fine shape and sport labels that show wear, stains or fading commensurate with age. Most are circa early 1900 with EMETINE being from the 1920 era. A very interesting group!

*****Group #3*****

Some History:
Although homeopathy has its roots in ancient Greek medicine and in the work of the 16th-century physician Paracelsus, modern homeopathy dates back 200 years to the work of the German doctor and chemist, Samuel Hahnemann. Hahnemann qualified as a physician but ceased to practice as a doctor because of what he saw as the barbaric medical practices of his day - which included bloodletting and the overuse of toxic medicines, leading to horrific side effects.

A brilliant linguist, he earned a living from translating books and was interested by a reference in a medical textbook of the use of China (Peruvian bark) as a cure for malaria. Intrigued to know why China worked, he took doses of the remedy until he himself began to exhibit malarial symptoms. He stopped taking the China and the symptoms went away. From this he deduced that the ancient principle of 'like cures like' actually worked.

His next step was to determine if there were safe levels at which toxic substances could be given - and still cure the type of symptoms that they might otherwise cause. His experiments with dilution led him to discover that the more a substance was diluted, the more potent it appeared to become.

Homeopathic medicine was born, but in practicing it, Hahnemann and his followers were subjected to ridicule and persecution by the medical establishment, despite the fact that they were seeing patients getting better on tiny doses of medicines, prescribed on the basis of 'like cures like'. Many European practitioners immigrated to the United States, where homeopathy flourished in the 19th century – until the medical establishment there systematically acted to remove its influence.

Hahnemann ended his days as a renowned and very busy practitioner in Paris, working into his 80's. He is interred at the Cimetière du Père Lachaise, where a large monument honors him and his discovery of Homeopathy.

These highly-colorful, lithographed paper labels are all UNUSED, NEW OLD STOCK in wonderful condition. The E. E. Dickinson Company made "off-branded witch hazel products" sold to a variety of vendors. The labels offered here all advertise the very same witch hazel product manufactured by E.E. Dickinson but which was then sold to and marketed by these other companies: S.X.BRAND.N.F., BAILEY'S, and MERRIMACK. Dickinson sold its witch hazel under its own name as well.

At the time of the auction, all remaining company stock was removed from storage for the factory-closing sale. We believe these labels predate the 1930s, and would look quite wonderful framed!

The 4 large size labels, measuring 10 inches in diameter, were for use on 50 gallon barrels or drums and are offered at $15.00 each. The 3 smaller labels are 8.5 inches in diameter and are offered at $12.00 each.

A framed display of ALL 7 barrel labels together would be quite visually-stunning! With this decorative thought in mind, all 7 labels can also be purchased a single group, offered at $75.00.

The box is mildly worn commensurate with age and use, with some tape holding the top sides together. It measures 5.5"L x 3.75"W x 3.5"H.

Twenty three of the 24 bottles retain their contents, with the one bottle displaying a dark cork being empty and broken (parts of the glass from this broken vial are stuck to the box interior compartment). The vials measure just over 3 inches tall including corks and sport handwritten labels, most of which are legible (a few are faded and illegible).

Overall a very unusual find when you consider that the contents remain.

Some History:
Although homeopathy has its roots in ancient Greek medicine and in the work of the 16th-century physician, Paracelsus, modern homeopathy dates back 200 years to the work of the German doctor and chemist, Samuel Hahnemann. Hahnemann qualified as a physician but ceased to practice as a doctor because of what he saw as the barbaric medical practices of his day - which included bloodletting and the overuse of toxic medicines, leading to horrific side effects.

A brilliant linguist, he earned a living from translating books and was interested by a reference in a medical textbook describing the use of China (Peruvian bark) as a cure for malaria. Intrigued to know why China worked, he took doses of the remedy until he himself began to exhibit malarial symptoms. He stopped taking the China, and the symptoms went away. From this he deduced that the ancient principle of 'like cures like' actually worked.

His next step was to determine if there were safe levels at which toxic substances could be given - and still cure the type of symptoms that they might otherwise cause. His experiments with dilution led him to discover that the more a substance was diluted, the more potent it appeared to become.

Homeopathic medicine was born, but in practicing it, Hahnemann and his followers were subjected to ridicule and persecution by the medical establishment, despite the fact that they were seeing patients getting better on tiny doses of medicines, prescribed on the basis of 'like cures like'. Many European practitioners immigrated to the United States, where homeopathy flourished in the 19th century – until the traditional medical establishment systematically acted to remove its influence.

Hahnemann ended his days as a renowned and very busy practitioner in Paris, working into his 80's. He is interred at the Cimetière du Père Lachaise, where a large monument honors him and his discovery of Homeopathy.

Offered is a very desirable group of vintage, pharmacy bottles and medicine from the 1930s to 1950s era.

The two cocaine bottles from Merck and Mallinckrodt are the gems of this listing! The diminutive Merck DIONIN bottle and Schering MEDINAL Barbitol labelled box are quite collectible as well. Finally, the Lilly MORPHINE bottle, which sports a tax stamp, rounds out quite a quintet!

For perspective, the Mallinckrodt cocaine bottle measures 3.5" tall, and the Merck red capped bottle is a cute 1.75" high.

The labels are very good (and original) showing only an occasional, minor stain or loss as seen in the photos. Only the 2.75" Lilly Morphine label can be described as fair, with modest loss as photographed. The 1.75" square Medinal box and label are in excellent condition.

Note that each medicine is also marked as a "POISON"!

Each container is in very good condition and houses small labeled EMPTY medicine tubes sporting tiny cork tops.

Each box measures about 3 inches high and dates to the early 1900s.

This is a rare collection seldom found in this condition.

PRICED SEPARATELY - Heroin is SOLD - The Eli Lilly Codeine and Digitalin are $50.00 each and the Sharpe & Dohme Nitroglycerin is $30.00.

This is a fabulous white ceramic 1950s pharmacy drug store display with decorative gold gilt embellishments. The mortar measures 7 inches tall and the solid pestle is 8.5 inches long.

The condition is near excellent with no damage, cracks or dings.

An outstanding display that will compliment any pharmacy collection.

Upon opening the top lid, one finds 12 very special, unused, clear glass vials in near perfect condition, retaining their diminutive labels.

The visually-graphic box is in good condition with some separation to the edge of the cardboard box. Two small pieces of cardboard material used to secure vials in box are missing with a small piece of cotton inserted and used as a replacement for the missing sections.

For perspective, this Scillaren box measures 3.5"W x 2.5"H x 1.4"D. and the tiny vials are approximately 1 inch tall.

Difficult to find, and RARELY found in complete condition.

****NOTE ****CHLOROHYDRATE, QUININE, PHENOBARB bottles are SOLD****

Offered is a wonderful collection of approximately 35 Merck & Company pharmacy stock bottles from the 1940 - 1950s era, recently acquired from the collection of a retired Pennsylvania pharmacist.

Included within this grouping are five, RED-labeled, POISON bottles displaying the visually-interesting skull and cross bone image!

The bottles measure 5 inches tall, sport front and back labels and have plastic or bakelite type caps. The condition of all of the bottles is very good with almost no wear!

Each bottle sports a different content label; given the number of bottles in this offering, a comprehensive listing of specific bottle content labels is prohibitive. Instead, please view each of the photos for a representation of the content labeling on these great drug store stock bottles!

The entire grouping all together would make an absolutely stunning addition to one's pharmacy collection!

The base, ground glass stopper, and stunning gold gilt label make this bottle very desirable!

The condition of this 8 inch tall bottle is excellent. The glass label is undamaged with mild unobtrusive paint flecking around the edge. The ground glass stopper is fine and fits perfectly. As seen in the photos, the label appears very nice visually, despite what I would consider minimal manufacturers imperfections as noted. The bottle sports a few tin air bubbles, a 1/2 inch surface bubble on the top back and mild glass imperfection on the lower back of bottle. The base is boldly embossed with the following: "W N WALTON PATd SEP 23 1862".

An early bottle that displays beautifully!

The tins sport an early and original, hand-painted, mustard-colored surface patina. The five smaller containers measure approximately 7 inches high x 4 inches wide x 5 inches deep (front to back including the distinctive front floral embellishment). The one large container measures about 8 inches high x 5 inches wide x 5 inches deep.

Structurally, the canisters are very solidly crafted containers, each with a slanted, well-fitting, hinged cover that snaps into place when closed. There are unobtrusive dings, and the finish shows modest wear and paint loss commensurate with a 19th century, well-loved and well-used, dispensary antique.

It is embossed on the base: W.N WALTON PAT SEPT 23, 1862.

The bottle is just about 8 inches tall and is in excellent condition, containing its original contents!

Next there are 4 Humphreys and the earliest nostrums are the ones numbered "8" and "31" dating to the 1920s. The boxes have paper labels covering them, and include a corked glass vial and paper insert. The Humphreys labeled "3" and "30" date to the 1940, are unopened and contain either a glass or plastic vial. They measure 3 inches.

Condition: Mild, unobtrusive wear to the paper. The blue round label is affixed to the glass, not the actual paper. The frame retains 2 early holes used for hanging along with various surface dings and an early slice of wood missing from the right side of frame.

Historically, Pabst's Okay Specifics was cited by the 1906 FDA Act for various violations including failure to mention alcohol content, having no known curative ingredient, etc, resulting in frequent seizure and destruction of the product!

From the GLASCO Glass Company, this pill tile is in nice condition, with 2 edge dings and various faint glass scratches acquired as a result of use, resulting in a fine, vintage patina.

Offered is a scarce, Civil War era, clear glass, hand-blown apothecary bottle sporting an appealing label under glass label that is marked 'SPIR. AETH. NIT.'. The pontilled base, ground glass stopper, and stunning gold gilt label make this bottle very desirable!

The condition of this 10 inch tall bottle is excellent. The label has a few tiny edge flecks, a small chip on the lower right hand corner, and an unobtrusive, top-to-bottom crack on the right side that runs through the letter 'T'. As seen in the photos, the label appears very nice visually, despite what I would consider minimal damage.

An early bottle that displays beautifully!