Vintage Amber Glass Chemist's Bottle — 'Ammonium Bromide' Tablets, Parke Davis & Co., Original Label

A lovely little amber glass chemist's bottle, complete with its original label — Ammonium Bromide Compressed Tablets, supplied by Parke, Davis & Co. Ammonium Bromide was widely prescribed as a sedative and anticonvulsant throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, used to treat epilepsy, anxiety, and insomnia before the advent of modern pharmaceuticals. The pontil mark on the base indicates hand-blown glass manufacture, suggesting this bottle dates from the earlier part of the 20th century or possibly the late 19th century. A charming and historically interesting piece of pharmacy history.

Condition

• Glass: Good condition — no cracks or chips.
• Base: Rough pontil mark — indicative of hand-blown glass manufacture.
• Label: Original paper label present — yellowing with age, small areas of loss on edges.
• Height: Approximately 14cm.

Provenance

• Manufacturer: Parke, Davis & Co. — one of the oldest and most distinguished pharmaceutical companies in the world, founded in Detroit in 1866. Parke Davis was a major supplier to the British market throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and their bottles and packaging are highly collectible. The company is now part of Pfizer.
• Contents: Ammonium Bromide Compressed Tablets — a sedative and anticonvulsant widely prescribed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for epilepsy, anxiety, and insomnia. Bromide salts were among the first effective anticonvulsant drugs, and Ammonium Bromide was a staple of the Victorian and Edwardian dispensary.
• Glass: Amber — the standard dispensary colour for light-sensitive pharmaceutical compounds.
• Pontil mark: The rough pontil mark on the base indicates the bottle was hand-blown, placing its manufacture in the earlier part of the 20th century or possibly the late 19th century.
• Era: Late 19th to early 20th century.
• Appeal: A beautifully complete little apothecary bottle with exceptional provenance — Parke Davis label, hand-blown glass, and a fascinating pharmaceutical history make this a desirable piece for collectors of apothecary ephemera, interior stylists, and prop buyers.