Posted 7 years ago
AnnaB
(85 items)
*For SpiritBear- Sometime ago, i recall, i promised to post my labeled bottles- here they are, all 5 of them. All medicinal, a couple of them with contents still inside. They came from one estate sale, and i can't say they were cheap. The one in the middle was the most expensive one.
The Crane's Quinine and Tar bottle is fully machine-made, the rest have their tops molded.
While all antique medicinal labels are fascinating on many levels, the two i'm posting separately I find particularly curious. Porter's Healing Oil was apparently good for Man or Beast. Does that mean you could give it to your cat? And the Crane's Medicine for Cough and Cold, containing 5% of alcohol, was suitable for giving to infants. While i know- i've heard -some people still give their babies alcohol to "help" them sleep, it would certainly be shocking to see something containing any alcohol suitable for infants on modern labels.
I haven't studied these bottles in more detail to share more than that. If someone has some interesting facts or observations about them, i'd appreciate you sharing.
Spirit, do you think the labels are authentic? You mention this in your posts occasionally, so i was just wondering...
Thank you all for looking!
Very nice!
Usually, "Good for man or beast" is seen on liniments. A lot of farmers still apply liniments to horses and beasts of burden. You'd not want to drink them. Funny thing is, the best-known liniment from the period was called Gargling Oil-- but you certainly shouldn't drink it! But, yes, you could use it on your cat-- back then. I'd not try it today. No longer so antiseptic....
Nice labels. I see nothing to suggest they are repros or added at a later date. As for alcohol, it's still in some American cough-medicines. They usually list its chemical composition without stating "alcohol", though, on the labels. People frown upon it, but it is needed for insoluble components of a medicine. Water cannot break down everything, but alcohol breaks down most of what water doesn't. Rather, it evenly suspends what water cannot. Otherwise, the chemicals wouldn't mix together even when shaken. Alcohol was the cheapest, safest chemical known to counter the problem. I have a tincture I use sometimes, and it's 50% 110-proof alcohol. LOL.
Don't dump out the medicine. I think it adds to the interest. A lot of people dump them out now, but you'll never see it again.
Thank you, Spirit, as always, for your very informative commentary. I don't mind alcohol in anything, I was only concerned about the babies of the past. No-no, I wasn't going to dump the contents, actually i was very excited to find the bottles with the contents! Any thoughts as to why the bottle in the middle was double the price of others? It was marked $40, which i didn't pay in full as i always do lot purchases and get a discount, but still, it has to be one of my most pricey bottles (by my amateurish standards LOL)
Anik, Vetra, Scott, Robert, Iggy, Jenni- Thank you kindly for stopping by and your loves!
Beautiful collection, Anna, and interesting labels, too!
super collection of certain distinction & spiritbears input first class
thank you much indeed for sharing annab !!!!!!!!
I don't know why the Nitre bottle was marked so high. Perhaps they saw another online, and that's what that person was asking for it (asking, not getting, unless for some reason someone really wanted it). It's not pictorial or embossed, is from a wholesale druggist (big company, meaning their products probably are not very rare), after 1906 (you see potentially harmful ingredients listed on the labels after 1906), and New York collectors tend only to collect pre-Civil-War bottles, with only a few rare 'sodas' and beers driving the later markets.
When it comes to labeled bottles, you want it to also be embossed. If it's not embossed, you want it to be colourful and pictorial. If not, you want it to say 'Cure', and not say the % of alcohol. A lot of label collectors I know don't collect labels after the 1906 Food & Drug Act (FDA). If you like it, go ahead. But these are tips I'm suggesting in you are looking for resale value. When I began collecting labeled stuff, the collectors in the club kept saying (still do) 'Don't buy label-only'. But, since most of the nice-looking labeled bottles are label-only (not also embossed), well, too bad for them. LOL.
The embossed and labeled Knapp's is nice-- lots of root-beer collectors out there. The Crane's is nice-looking. And I do like the Blackberry bottle, mostly for the shape and fruit reference.
As for why it is 90% alcohol, it's technically a tincture. Nitre is technically toxic. I don't think you're supposed to drink it.
Spirit, thank you so very much, it's so interesting to read your analysis every time, and you provide such a wealth of information. I really appreciate it.
Malkey, thank you kindly for your lovely comment! It means a lot coming from you =)
Laura, thank you for your compliments and love, much appreciated. Hope the storm wasn't too bad by you. It was a rather bizarre one on many levels =)
Thank you all so much for stopping by and loves:
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Anna, did you get much? We got MAYBE an inch. The schools erred on the side of caution and closed early yesterday and it didn't start until last night around 9. Today, there was a two hour delay.
Yeah, but I go on and on forever.
I'm curious-- do you get email updates when people comment on your posts? I don't anymore, though my account is set up for me to get them. I had emailed CW, and they said they're working on the known issue, but it seems to me that others get email updates.
About half my comments also come back with an "Error. Could not be processed" message. :/
SpiritBear, I have been getting that 'error' message also sometimes. I just have been going back to my previous page and then try it again and it works.
Laura, we only got abut 2-3" overnight, but the schools closed as well. Even my work in the city closed offices, but they did get slammed this time. I don't mind a snow day without having to shovel snow! =)
Spirit, i absolutely don't mind your in-depth comments since they have a lot of substance for me.
I actually no longer get emails about comments even though my posts are checked to notify me. And i also get an broken page view when i post a comment. In most cases i just refresh a page and i see it posted, but a couple of times i lost my comments and had to re-type them. So, when I am posting a lengthy comment, like this one, i copy it just in case it disappears.
Ms. CrystalShip, Collectables- many thanks for stopping by and your loves!
So amazing looks almost like a movie prop its so nice.
Some of these formulas are still around in San Antonio TX one is Hausman’s Mexican Oil. Back in the 30’s ,if we got a stomache, a few drops in black coffee was relief. Good for scorpion stings also.
The next one is DR J.R. McLEANS VOLCANIC OIL, pain relieving ligament.
It is prepared in Levittown NY,11756. Established in 1841. You can call 1 800 831 1135. I have in the meds cabinet.
You have some very collectibles. Stamped on the bottom Side?
I never had many labelled bottles so this is very exciting indeed !~
Have a tin container of CAMPHO-PHENIQUE POWDER, an antiseptic. Directions use for athletes foot prickly heat or dry dressings.lt contained pheno 2%, champhor 4.4% on a talcum powder base. Mfg by glenbrook labs. New York ny.
Back in the 30’s we used them but for most cases we used kerosine and sugar for bad cuts and Lysol in water for nail punctures.
I already love this site because well....everyone is nice. I just inherited several bottles with the pills and ointments still in the bottle. Are there sites I can sell these on. I noticed Ebay users inflate the prices for a collectible and seem to float money to increase a value so I have no idea where to go with these. Saw Anna B's post and so this is where I am starting. Thanks all