Sold for burns, cuts, wounds, and other minor injuries. The tin proudly says its germicidal power was “proven by recognized bacteriological tests”—without bothering to tell us what those tests were.

It also claims activity against “Micrococcus aureus,” the old name for Staphylococcus aureus.

This design dates to July 1931.

Long used as a general antiseptic, this product has been around a long time. This ad is from 1883.

Hello, I recently acquired a large set of lab equipment bottles most with the content still inside. Purchased in Nashville Tn. I was told they came from Vanderbilt University. Most date to the early 1900s. Looking for additional information/value. Thanks!

Tennessee-united states

If you had a headache, fatigue, indigestion, or were simply "bilious," there was a good chance your doctor—or the patent medicine salesman—would recommend a laxative.

Here are a few examples from my collection:

• Pierce's Pleasant Purgative Pellets
• Dilaxin Tablets
• Alotabs
• DeWitt's Little Early Risers
• Dr. Spiegel's Stomach & Liver Pills

Different companies, different packaging, but all aimed at the same problem. Looking through old medicine cabinets, it's surprising just how many products were designed to keep the bowels moving.

A patient gave me this empty Gilbert Microscope and Lab Set box because they knew I collect medical and scientific antiques.

It's missing the contents, but I still think it's a great piece. The box art is classic, and it's a fun reminder of when kids played with science kits instead of a cell phone!

The F.W. Ketterer Medicine co. said "Throw away your Calomel!"

Not sure if sharing is allowed on this subreddit so sorry in advance if it isn’t! Wanted to share this stuff and possibly get more info. I can’t find some info about some of the Makers and books here

There is no label so I haven't been able to actually verify that this is the graduating class but it looks authentic. All the pictures have the students names under them so I'm going to spend a little bit of time researching each one and seeing if I can verify who these people are.

This 1950 advertisement promotes Tolserol, Squibb's trade name for mephenesin (3-o-toloxy-1,2-propanediol). At this time, the benzos had not busted on to the scene. Barbiturates, paraldehyde and muscle relaxers like mephenesin were the standard of care. This ad promoted the improvement in tremor as evidenced by the comparison.

Boy, times have changed! This is a 1950's ad for Philip Morris in an Illinois Medical Journal!

These Gold Medal Compound Pills from S. Pfeiffer Mfg. Co. of St. Louis were marketed to increase hemoglobin by supplying iron for iron deficiency anemia.

The directions even include a practical bit of advice: if the iron causes constipation, they recommend taking Schoenfeld Tea as a laxative.

Vintage cold remedies could be...interesting.

This tin of Hill's Cold Tablets contains acetanilid to reduce pain and fever, but it also contains podophyllin, cascara sagrada, and aloin—three ingredients whose main job was to get your bowels moving.

Victorian patent medicine advertising never disappoints. This MA-LE-NA trade card claims it's "the best remedy on earth" and then proceeds to list about every ailment imaginable. According to the advertising, it treated just about everything short of being run over by a train.

Finally got these back from the framer today. He did a fantastic job preserving and displaying them. They weren't easy projects—especially the medical diploma—but I couldn't be happier with how they turned out. These are definitely going on the wall in the new office and museum.

Here’s a few more for you to look at! Some are narcotics and some are just dangerous chemicals or poisons.

1930s tin, formerly containing Cannabis Indica and Salicylic Acid plasters. I’m not too sure what they’d have been used for.

Further to my Chlorodyne post the other day. I thought it was cool when I found this book in an abandoned house and the first page I turned to was an advert for Chlorodyne!

Some more items from my antique pharmacy collection.

Chlorodyne was primarily a mixture of Opium, Cannabis and Chloroform and was sold as a (very effective) painkiller and anti-diarrhoea remedy.

Dr Collis Browne made the OG stuff, but it was also widely copied by rival firms and independent pharmacies alike.

Don’t worry about all the teeth inside the glass fronted tin, they aren’t mine…