Vintage Pharmacy Bottle — Stafford Allen & Sons Ltd, Liquid Scillae Extract

A lovely vintage pharmacy bottle that originally contained Liquid Scillae Extract — a preparation derived from Squill (Drimia maritima), a bulbous plant with a long history in European medicine. Squill extract was used as an expectorant and diuretic, and was a staple of the Victorian and Edwardian pharmacopoeia. A charming and evocative piece of British pharmaceutical history.

Condition

• Cosmetic: Good overall condition. Small chip on the top rim — noted for transparency.
• Contents: Empty, but with attractive internal staining from the squill extract — adding character and authenticity.
• Label: Stafford Allen & Sons Ltd label present.

Provenance

• Maker: Stafford Allen & Sons Ltd — established in 1833, one of Britain's most respected producers of essential oils, pure drugs, and pharmaceutical preparations. The firm supplied the trade for over 130 years before merging with W.J. Bush Ltd in 1966.
• Contents: Liquid Scillae Extract — a tincture of Squill, used in British medicine as an expectorant (to loosen phlegm) and diuretic. Squill has been used medicinally since ancient Egypt and was listed in the British Pharmacopoeia for centuries.
• Era: Early-to-mid 20th century.
• Significance: A named, labelled pharmacy bottle from a known and historically significant British pharmaceutical house — far more collectible than an anonymous bottle, and a genuine piece of the history of British medicine.