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Pewter theriac container

Pharmacy-ware

1603

Haemostatic set, London, England, 1871-1900

Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Contraception

1871-1900

Square glass dispensing bottle with glass stopper and chamois covering, full of Aromatic Confection Powder (contains opium). 108 mm x 36 mm x 37 mm. Unknown maker, English, after 1849.

Bottle of Aromatic Confection Powder

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1849-1915

Unopened packet of Diarrhoea draughts

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1849-1900

Gutta percha tube for 1/2 gr. compressed Tabloid brand opium tablets, empty with possible traces remaining. 80 mm x 15 mm diameter. Interior of the tube is lined with wax paper and contains a small amount of cotton, possibly obscuring traces of opium. Made by Burroughs Wellcome and Co., English, 1900-1910.

Gutta Percha tube for Opium tablets

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1900-1910

Brown glass bottle of aspirin and opium tablets

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1950-1970

Black gutta percha tube for 5 gr. Tabloid brand Aromatic Chalk Powder with Opium tablets, with possible traces remaining. 89 mm x 19 mm diameter. Interior of the tube is lined with wax paper and contains a small amount of cotton, possibly obscuring traces of opium or remaining tablets. Made by Burroughs Wellcome and Co., English, 1900-1910.

Gutta percha tube of Aromatic Chalk Powder with Opium tablets

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1900-1910

Bottle of 'Papine'

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1920-1950

Bottle for Dover Powder

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1937-1938

Small clear glass bottle, with cork stopper and paper label, containing Brathwaite's Genuine Black Drop. Black Drop was a proprietary remedy of fermented vinegar of opium introduced around 1700. It contained more opium than most varieties of The label on this example reads 'Genuine Black Drop, Prepared By J.A. Brathwaite, Lancaster' and 'N.B. One Drop equal to four of Laudanum'.

Small clear glass bottle, with cork stopper and paper label, containing Brathwaite's Genuine Black Drop

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

c. 1801

Small glass bottle with glass stopper half-full of Dover's Powder. 71 mm x 23 mm x 18 mm, 38 g. By Cannan and Brydon, London, early nineteenth century.

Glass bottle of Dover's powder

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1801-1850

Small glass bottle with chamois covering full of Lead and Opium pills. 45 mm x 20 mm diameter, 13 g. Label reads, 'R. Scott Thompson and Co./ Medical Hall Calcutta/ LEAD AND OPIUM PILLS/ Use.- In mild cases of diarrhoea and dysentery./ Dose.- One every 3 hours, til purging abates.' Dispensed by R. Scott Thompson and Co., Calcutta, India, 1831-1900.

Small bottle of Lead and Opium pills

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1831-1900

Glass bottle with flat glass stopper half-full of Tabloid brand Aromatic Chalk Powder with Opium compressed tablets ( Pulv. Cretae Aromat. cum Opio). 142 mm x 43 mm x 43 mm, 178 g. By Burroughs Wellcome, English, 1900-1910.

Glass bottle of Aromatic Chalk Powder with Opium tablets

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1900-1910

Rectangular glass bottle with glass stopper and kid covering of Chalk and Opium powder, full. 126 mm x 63 mm x 39 mm, 132 g. Prepared by Squire chemists, Oxford Street, London, c. 1850.

Glass bottle of Opium and Chalk powder

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1840-1860

Tall glass bottle with glass stopper full of Aromatic Chalk Powder. 105 mm x 32 mm x 40 mm, 193g. Dispensed by J. Fuller for the Army and Navy Stores, London, c. 1870.

Bottle of Aromatic Chalk Powder

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1865-1890

Sticks of opium resin individually wrapped in paper and tied with string. Opium is a powerful analgesic. 30 sticks altogether, 8 in one bag and 22 in another.

30 Sticks of opium resin individually wrapped in paper and tied with string

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

Floral painted opaline glass shop round used for opium (OPIO), with traces remaining. By the Farmacia de Onate, Spain, 1850-1900.

Shop round for opium

Medical Glass-ware

1850-1900

Bottle, clear glass, leather covering over cork, of Cholera Tincture. This liquid is believed to contain opium tincture due to the fact most Cholera treatments contained opium. 116 mm x 44 mm x 24 mm, 100 g. Inscription reads:'CHOLERA TINCTURE/.../ FRANK BLISS & Co. / DISPENSING AND FAMILY CHEMISTS,/SIMLA'. Distributed by Frank Bliss and Co., Indian, 1851-1910.

Bottle of cholera tincture

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1851-1910

Rectangular glass bottle used for paregoric elixir, with trace contents remaining. 103 mm x 33 mm x 23 mm. Chemists label reads, 'ROBERTSON/PAREGORIC ELIXIR/35, GEORGE STREET EDINBURGH/ CHEMIST/DRUGGIST'. Dispensed by Robertson chemists, Edinburgh, 1831-1870.

Bottle of paregoric elixir

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1831-1870

Carton of six 1 c.c. ampoules of 'Omnopon' (opium alkaloids) with four glass ampoules remaining and instructional leaflet. Carton: 86 mm x 60 mm, 31 g total. Roche Products Limited, English, 1910-1940.

Six ampoule carton of 'Omnopon'

Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Contraception

1910-1940

Square glass bottle with glass stopper full of Dover's Powder. 47 mm x 32 mm x 26 mm, 52 g. Unknown maker, English, 1820-1850.

Glass bottle of Dover's Powder

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1820-1850

Glass storage cylinder containing three large dried poppy heads, labelled. 286 mm x 106 mm diameter, 1389 g. Unknown maker, grown in Britain.

Specimen jar containing dried poppy heads

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

Painted wooden drug jar, for unidentified opium mixture (OPUM/ TEBAIC) with wood lid and traces remaining. 151 mm x 75 mm, 237 g. Unknown maker, probably Swiss, 1770-1830.

Wooden jar for opium mixture

Pharmacy-ware

1770-1830

Pewter canister with screw top mostly full with 'Diascordio', an ancient medical preparation which contains poppy syrup. 52 mm x 24 mm diameter, 45 g. Unknown maker, Italian, 1771-1850.

Canister of Diascordio

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1771-1850

Square glass bottle with chamois covering containing a small quanitity of Dover's Powder. 62 mm x 32 mm x 32 mm, 70 g. Unknown maker, English, 1860-1900.

Glass bottle of Dover's powder

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1860-1900

Blue glass shop round for red poppy syrup with cork stopper and aluminium lid, traces remaining. 217 mm x 75 mm diameter, 344 g. Unknown maker, English, late 19th century.

Shop round for poppy syrup

Medical Glass-ware

1850-1900

Four glass phials with metal caps containing ipecacuanha and opium tablets, 0.3 g, wrapped in paper, with two additional packets not in a phial. Each phial: 101 mm x 18 mm diameter, 21 g. Unknown maker, produced for the German Army by various depots in Frankfurt and Cologne, 1915-1916.

Four glass phials and two additional packets not in a phial, all containing ipecacuanha and opium

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1915-1916

Brown stoneware drug jar, cylindrical with japanned metal lid, moulded Royal Coat-of-arms and painted label on side, "OPIUM OPT:" with traces remaining. 170 mm x 137 mm diameter, 1164 g. Unknown maker, English, early nineteenth century.

Stoneware drug jar for opium

Medical Ceramic-ware

1816-1837

2 glass phials containing Pulv Ipecacuanha and opium powder tablets (Pulv. Ipecac. op.) .3g. with metal caps. Each: 100 mm x 12 mm diameter, 21 g. Supplied for the German Army in 1917 from Frankfurt, Germany.

2 glass phials containing Pulv Ipecacuanha and opium powder tablet

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1917

Small round red box made of card containing 6 black pills of Dover's Powder (Pil Hyd/c Doveri). Overall: 15 mm x 20 mm diameter, 2g. Unknown maker, English, 1810-1850.

Small red card box of Dover's Powder pills

Therapeutics

1810-1850

Large wooden barrel filled with large dried poppy heads. Barrel: 320 mm x 500 mm diameter. Faded inscription, possibly in Arabic, is illegible. Unknown maker, possibly Turkish, 1801-1930.

Large wooden barrel filled with dried poppy heads; controlled drug

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1801-1930

Cylindrical metal container wrapped in ornate golden paper, 51mm x 42mm, 140 g. Contains theriac, an ancient medicine used by the Greeks since the First century AD, comprised of viper flesh, opium, cinnammon and honey amongst its 60-70 ingredients. It was used as a general cure-all, although was often used as an antidote to poison, and later became known as 'mithridate'. Possibly from Constantinople, Turkey or Egypt, or more generally the Ottoman Empire, 1801-1910.

Container of theriac

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1801-1910

Large pewter box with sliding lid and knob, containing a dried block of Mithridate. 36 mm x 58 mm x 56 mm. Unknown maker, Italian, c. 1560s.

Pewter box of Mithridate

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1562-1566

Clear glass shop round with glass stopper for opium liniment (LIN: OPII), with dried residues in base and neck. 205 mm x 77 mm diameter. This liniment would have been applied topically. Unknown maker, English, late nineteenth century.

Shop round for opium liniment

Medical Glass-ware

1840-1910

Wooden drawer insert with brass handle and sliding top filled with powdered 'aromatic confection'. 38 mm x 62 mm x 60 mm, 67g. Handwritten label reads,Conf. Aromat/Dose/Ten Grains to/Half a dram. Unknown maker, probably English, 1810-1830.

Mahogany drawer insert will brass handle and sliding top filled with powdered 'aromatic confection'.

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1810-1830

Pewter canister with screw top containing 'Teriaca' or Theriac, an ancient medical preparation which contains poppy syrup. 52 mm x 25 mm diameter, 38 g. Unknown maker, Italian, 1771-1850.

Canister of Teriaca

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1771-1850

Rectangular glass shop round of paediatric opiate squill linctus (LINCT. SCILL. OPIAT. PRO INFANT) with liquid traces remaining. 240 mm x 45 mm x 90 mm, 496g. Unknown maker, English, 1920-1960.

Shop round of pediatric opiate squill linctus

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1920-1960

2 yellow painted metal containers with pin-latches containing packets of ipecacuanha and opium tablets (Pulv Ipecac. opiat.) in paper wrapping. Each: 65 mm x 70 mm x 35 mm. One canister contains one packet of tablets, the other contains loose tablets and an assortment of packets. Distrubuted for military use, German, 1914-1918.

Two metal canisters, with 6 packets of ipecacuanha and opium tablets

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1914-1918

Square glass bottle with glass stopper for Paregoric (camphorated tincture of opium) with trace amounts remaining. 35 mm x 110 mm, 135 g. Seabury and Johnson, London, 1810-1840.

Bottle of Paregoric

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1810-1840

Small glass bottle with cork stopper and wooden cover full of Dover's Powder. 38 mm x 18 mm diameter, 16 g. Dispensed by J. Fuller Chemists, London, 1858-1900.

Small glass bottle of Dover's Powder

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1858-1900

Glass bottle with flat glass stopper full of Tabloid brand Dover Powder tablets (ipecac and opium). 78 mm x 45 mm x 32 mm, 103 g. Prepared by Burroughs Wellcome and Co., London, 1908-1935.

Bottle of compressed Dover Powder tablets

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1908-1935

Square guetta percha bottle of `Tabloid' brand Ipecac with Squill tablets with opium, 1/5gr. 115 mm x 38 mm x 38 mm, 118g. Burroughs Wellcome and Co., London, used in 1919.

Guetta percha bottle of Ipecac and Squill tablets

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1900-1919

Glass bottle containing suspected controlled drug opium tincture, part of the Haemostatic set, London, England, 1871-1900.

Glass bottle containing suspected opium tincture, London, England, 1871-1900

Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Contraception

1871-1900

Gutta percha bottle with chamois covering full of 'Tabloid' brand 'Dover Powder' tablets (ipecac and opium). 118 mm x 39 mm x 39 mm, 163 g. Prepared by Burroughs Wellcome and Co., London, 1906-1920

Bottle full of Dover Powder tablets

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1906-1920

Small glass bottle of opium tablets with tin screw top from a small steel medicine chest. 70 mm x 20 mm x 25 mm, 38g. Labels on the chest reveal it was created for travellers to tropic areas. White paper label with black type face reads, ' POISON/ Burroughs, Wellcome & Co/ 'Tabloids'/ of compressed/ OPIUM 1/2 gr./ Directions.- One or two 'tab/ loids' may be swallowed with a/ little water as a sedative, or for / the relief of pain./ Snowhill Buildings, London, E.C.' The term tabloid' medicines in compressed and measured doses was invented by Sir Henry Wellcome as early as 1884.

Bottle of comprssed opium tablets

Pharmacy-ware

1901-1930

Sealed bottle with bakelite lid full of Aromatic Powder of Chalk with Opium (Pulvis Cretae Aromaticus cum Opio). 100 mm x 54 mm diameter, 269 g. Produced by the British Drug Houses, English, 1960-1979.

Sealed bottle containing Aromatic Powder of Chalk with Opium (Pulvis Cretae Aromaticus cum Opio).

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1960-1979

Glass bottle with glass stopper for 'Cholera Drops' with traces of original contents remaining. 117 mm x 37 mm x 45 mm, 173g. Label reads, 'Cholera Drops/ A teaspoonful in a little/ water and repeat in an/ hour if required.' Bottle is dated to the 19th of August 1864. Dispensed by Decastro and Watson Chemists, English, 1864.

Bottle for Cholera Drops

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1864

Small glass bottle of compressed lead and opium tablets with tin screw top from a small steel medicine chest. 70 mm x 20 mm x 25 mm, 28g. Labels on the chest reveal it was created for travellers to tropic areas. White paper label with black type face reads, ' Burroughs, Wellcome & Co/ 'Tabloids'/ LEAD AND OPIUM./ Anodyne and astringent./ In obstinante diarrhoea or dysen-/tary , one every six hours./ Snowhill Buildings, London, E.C.' The word 'poison' is stamped over the label in red. The term tabloid' medicines in compressed and measured doses was invented by Sir Henry Wellcome as early as 1884.

Small bottle of compressed lead and opium tablets

Pharmacy-ware

1901-1930

Glass bottle with glass stopper for Paregoric elixir (camphorated tincture of opium) with traces remaining. Printed label reads, 'PAREGORIC ELIXIR/ Giles & Son, Pharmaceutical Chemists...'. Giles and Son, Clifton, England, 1801-1850.

Bottle of Paregoric elixir

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1801-1850

Square glass bottle with cut-glass stopper approximately half full of 'Diarrhoea Powder' (opium and chalk). 57 mm x 37 mm x 37 mm, 99g. Dispensed by J. Martin, Bristol, English, nineteenth century.

Bottle of Diarrhoea Powder

Materia Medica & Pharmacology

1801-1900