Name/Title
Spirits of Lavender BottleEntry/Object ID
01.31.5aDescription
A large, clear, square-bottomed glass bottle with rounded shoulders, a flared lip, and a narrow neck. Short of half of the bottle is filled with a dark liquid with low viscosity. There is a fractalized, dark brown residue coating the inside of the bottle's shoulders and at the base of the inside of the neck. There is a worn, brown label with black borders and letters that wrap around the front and ends on both sides.
Transcription:
SPTS. LAV. CO
PREPARED BY
PURCELL, LADD &
A--- nd Druggist
[On the anterior side is another brown label with red print.]
-- child two days old, two drops -- one week old, six drops; one year old, ten drops; -- twelve drops; ten years old, half a --
--ful
FAULKER & CRAIGHILL.
132 Main Street, Ly[nc]hburg, Va.Dimensions
Height
3-7/8 inWidth
1-1/2 inDepth
1-7/8 inProvenance
Notes
This spirits of lavender bottle comes from a larger set in the Henry family medicine chest (01.31.1).
Lavender has been used medicinally since ancient times. In the 19th century, ingesting a teaspoonful of "spirits of lavender" mixed with alcohol was believed to cure depression and languor (fatigue).
The bottle has a lid (01.31.5b).
This chest and its contents belonged originally to John (1796–1868) and Elvira McClelland Henry (1808–1875) during their years at Red Hill. The chest was passed down in the family to John and Elvira's daughter, Margaret Ann Henry Miller (1827–1881), and then to her daughter, Elvira Henry Miller (1850–1955). It was then given to Rose Miller Gammon Garrett (1946–) through her father, William Miller Gammon Sr. (1900–1970). William Gammon Sr. was a nephew to Elvira Miller. His daughter, Rose Garrett, is a third great-great-granddaughter of Patrick Henry.
On September 4, 2001, Rose Gammon Garrett donated the medicine chest (01.31.1) and its contents (01.31.2-25) to the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation.