Medicine bottle

Object/Artifact

-

Historic Hudson Valley

Name/Title

Medicine bottle

Entry/Object ID

SS.61.46

Description

Bottle, medicine: pale bluish-green ("aquamarine") mold-blown glass; lip tooled, with broad rounded collar terminating in beveled ring; neck long, narrow, cylindrical; sloping shoulders; rectangular body, with beveled corners, rectangular sunken panels on ends and obverse; reverse with arched short rectangular panel; mold-inscribed on reverse, in arched horizontal line: "DAVIS", on ends, in vertical lines; "VEGETABLE" and "PAIN KILLER"; on obverse, paper redemption coupon, with eagle, shield and "Joy to the World" banner: "$0.01 Providence,/January 1, 1854/For Value received we promise to pay/to the Bearer One Cent on demand/at our office in that the City of Providence', followed by facsimile signature of "Perry Davis & Son;" below, in fine print: "Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1854 by Wellstood, Hanks, Hay & Whitlug/ in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New York." Hollow unscarred base.

Made/Created

Artist Information

Artist

Unknown

Attribution

Maker

Date made

circa 1854

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Inscription

Transcription

See description

Other Names and Numbers

Other Number

SP 3106

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Overall

Height

5-1/8 in

Width

1-3/16 in

Depth

1-1/16 in

Dimension Notes

Display Dimensions: 5 1/8 x 1 3/16 x 1 1/16 in. (13 x 3 x 2.7 cm)

Material

Glass, Paper

Relationships

Related Entries

Notes

SS.61.45 - Medicine bottle - Part of set SS.61.50 - Medicine bottle - Part of set

General Notes

Note Type

Curatorial Remarks

Note

Miscellaneous: It is interesting to note that SS.61.46 demonstrates an early use of the redemption coupon, preceding even the older varieties of green, blue, gold stamps, cigarette coupons, etc., in fashion at present. One can only speculate as to the composition of the "Vegetable Pain Killer;" however, the likelihood is that it was another of the opiates so popular and so promiscuously used in the 19th century which were all, of course, basically of "Vegetable" origin.

Note Type

StorageNote

Note

Home Location: Historic Hudson Valley, Sunnyside, Ebenezer Irving's Bedroom