Milk Sugar

Object/Artifact

-

Marvin Samson Museum for the History of Pharmacy

Name/Title

Milk Sugar

Entry/Object ID

PCP.1994.12.426

Description

Apothecary glass jar with stopper labeled "milk sugar" and "sugar of milk" and containing white powder

Category

natural compound
medicines

Acquisition

Accession

PCP.1994.12

Made/Created

Manufacturer

Whitall, Tatum, & Company

Date made

1806 - circa 1938

Time Period

19th Century, Early to mid-20th Century

Notes

Bottle only

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Jar

Height

7 in

Diameter

2 in

Exhibitions

Exhibition

Herbs of Heritage: Ethnobotany in Irish Folklore

Notes

Jun 15 - Dec 31, 2024, Marvin Samson Museum for the History of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

Known for its sweet taste, sugar of lead was historically used in small amounts to sweeten wines and other beverages, unknowingly leading to severe lead poisoning. While Irish herbalists and folk healers were deeply attuned to the medicinal properties of native plants, they occasionally turned to imported or alchemical substances like lead acetate, often without understanding its toxic effects. (From "Herbs in Heritage: Ethnobotany in Irish Folklore," Marvin Samson Museum for the History of Pharmacy, Jun 15 - Dec 31, 2024)