Circular clear glass container stuck on to glass backing plate

Made:
1830-1920

Circular clear glass container, glass backing plate, and crystal box containing white willow bark from North America. Historic label states that white willow bark was used by the Ojibwa Indians as a cough remedy. This community is more appropriately referred to as the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) people.

Details

Category:
Materia Medica & Pharmacology
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A666533
Materials:
glass and paper
Measurements:
backing: length 103 mm
backing: width 64 mm
depth 16 mm
container: diameter 48 mm
type:
containers

Parts

Circular clear glass container, now empty, with a crack to the side. Accompanied by a circular glass backing plate covered with paper on both sides. The word ‘Foreign’ is etched into the glass container. The backing plate bears handwritten text in black ink reading: ‘WHITE WILLOW BARK / SALIX ALBA / A DECOCTION OF THE INNER / BARK IS TAKEN FOR COUGHS. / OJIBWA INDIANS, / N. AMERICA’. The inscription uses the term 'Ojibwa Indians', a historic label reflecting colonial-era terminology and collecting practices. Today, this community is more appropriately referred to as the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) people. Also present is a separate piece of lined paper, handwritten in black ink, duplicating the information written on the backing plate.

Glass container and backing plate labelled 'white willow bark'

Circular clear glass container, now empty, with a crack to the side. Accompanied by a circular glass backing plate covered with paper on both sides. The word ‘Foreign’ is etched into the glass container. The backing plate bears handwritten text in black ink reading: ‘WHITE WILLOW BARK / SALIX ALBA / A DECOCTION OF THE INNER / BARK IS TAKEN FOR COUGHS. / OJIBWA INDIANS, / N. AMERICA’. The inscription uses the term 'Ojibwa Indians', a historic label reflecting colonial-era terminology and collecting practices. Today, this community is more appropriately referred to as the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) people. Also present is a separate piece of lined paper, handwritten in black ink, duplicating the information written on the backing plate.

Measurements:
backing and container: 103 mm x 64 mm x 16 mm, 48 mm,
Materials:
glass and paper (fibre product)
Object Number:
A666533/2
type:
container - receptacle
Three slivers of white willow bark (Salix alba) inside a small crystal box.

White willow bark

Three slivers of white willow bark (Salix alba) inside a small crystal box.

Measurements:
container: 18 mm x 83 mm x 56 mm,
Materials:
bark
Object Number:
A666533/1
type:
specimen

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