Antique Medicine Bottles Dr Cannon's Medicine Chest

ANOTHER "PATENT MEDICINE ARTICLE" FROM THE PAGES OF

ANTIQUE BOTTLE AND GLASS COLLECTOR MAGAZINE

THE MAGAZINE OF THE ANTIQUE BOTTLE COLLECTING HOBBY

antique bottles THE MEDICINE CHEST --- BY DR. RICHARD CANNON old bottles

The word cholera is Latin for bilious disease, and has come to indicate a severe intestinal infection. In humans,

certain strains of Vibrio cholera, a bacterium, produce the disease that can be severe and even fatal. Classic cholera is often referred to as Asiatic cholera because the disease was originally confined to Asia. Fluid and electrolyte replacement is the mainstay of treatment. Antibiotics shorten the duration of the disease. Opium and bismuth were used in 1886. A better vaccine has been developed, but safe food and water and prolonged breast-feeding are still the most important preventatives.
European cholera is considered to be a less dangerous form of the disease. Cholera infantum refers to a severe diarrhea of young children, bacterial or viral, which is most common during the summer months. Winter cholera is milder and usually due to a virus.
Chicken or fowl cholera is caused by Pasturella multocida, bacterium, and can be acute and often fatal or chronic. It responds to certain antibiotics.
Hog cholera results from infection by a RNA virus of the genus Pestivirus. It has also been called swine fever. Vaccines help but allow the virus to continue in the body. Infected animals usually have to be slaughtered.

Cholera of sheep has been described in Scotland affecting lambs of that year in August and September, but I found little more about it.
Five bimal "cholera" bottles are in my collection: Brewster’s // Cholera // Mixture, blowpipe pontil, eight-sided, rolled lip, aqua, 4 3/4 inches tall; Chamberlain’s // Colic Cholera and / Diarrhea Remedy // Chamberlain & Co. // Desmoines, Iowa, rectangular, aqua, 5 1/2 inches tall; Gilbert’s Cure / For / Cholera Infantum, rectangular, aqua, 6 1/8 inches tall; 6 oz. / L.F. Ganter’s / Magic / Chicken / Cholera / Cure / L.F. Ganter / Medicine Co. / Glassgo, KY. / U.S.A., all horizontally, rectangular, amber, 6 1/8 inches tall; and Hog Cholera / Specific, square, clear, 3 1/8 inches tall.
The Brewster’s is considered to be rare, and may have been from E.F. Brewster, Bridgeton, New Jersey, who put out a pectoral mixture in a blowpipe pontiled bottle, or Dr. Brewster, Killingsly, Ct., who had a rheumatic liniment in a blowpipe pontiled bottle.
Brothers’ Davis and Lowell Chamberlain established a proprietary medicine business in Marion, Iowa, in 1873. With their sister Izanna in 1881, they formed Chamberlain and Company in Desmoines. The firm became the Chamberlain Medicine Co. in 1892, and soon expanded to Australia, Canada and South Africa. They also put out a cough remedy, liniment, pain balm and hand lotion. My bottle has a spelling error, I for L in Chamberlain & Co.

Gilbert's Cure for

Cholera Infantom.

Brewster's Cholera Mixture.

I wrote about Gilbert’s cure for Cholera Infantum in 1995, and have learned nothing more. It appears to be a truly rare bottle.
My Ganter’s Chicken Cholera Cure bottle has Glasgo and not the spelling of Glasgow. Bill Agee pictures one with Glasgow embossed in Collecting All Cures. Ganter patented the Chicken Cholera Cure August 31, 1886, and had patented a Tooth Ache August 3, 1886. I’m not aware of an embossed Tooth Ache Cure bottle.

There is a very rare cobalt rectangular bottle 9 1/2 inches tall embossed Hillman’s American / Chicken Cholera Cure / Arlington, Minn. I understand that it’s pretty expensive.
I’ve found nothing on the Hog Cholera / Specific bottle. Bet the stuff didn’t help. Hog-ine from Welbourne, VA. and Hogchick from Summerford OH. had patents in 1896 and 1897 to manufacture hog medicine.....

References:
1. Agee, B.: Collecting All Cures, 1973.
2. Braun, K.: Old Bottle Magazine,
February, 1974
3. Cannon, R.: Antique Bottle and Glass
Collector, February, 1995.
4. Dorland, W.A.N.: The American
Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 1951 and
2000.
5. Fike, R.: The Bottle Book, 1987.
6. Feldhaus, R. Bottles, Breweriana and
Advertising Jugs of Minnesota, Vol. 2,
1987.
7. Holst, J.: Pontiled Medicine Price Guide,
1998.
8. Merck Veterinary Manuel, 1998.
9. McGuire, M.: Bottled Products and the
U.S. Patent Office, 1991.
10. Nelson, W.E.: Textbook of Pediatrics,
1996.

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