COSTAR POISON discussion......

[Poison_Us]

Bug and rat poisons don't follow normal methods of identification. Many of them don't have the usual warning embossing that a pharmacy poison would have. This is why I have to reserve myself until it can be proven, without a doubt, that it could only have had a poison in it to say it is a poison bottle.

 

[AntiqueMeds]

I'm pretty sure Costar only sold vermin killing products.
but...
If you are willing to beleive Henry Costar's ads from the 1860s, it is not a poison.

 

[epackage]

Found it Stephen and as always when it comes to poison YOU'RE THE MAN !!!!!

The following is from the book "New York's Great Industries", written by Richard Edwards in 1885....Seems Vermin and bugs weren't the only thing Henry was selling.....Jim

The company also manufactures the famous "Silver Ore Stove Polish Lacquer , which when applied to stoves, heaters, ranges and grates shines with black silver brillancy." The company also manufactures the "Red Metallic Lacquer," which is specific to cleaning and polishing, and is warranted not to scratch or blemish. The company is also the manufacturer of the popular "Yosemite Sift Crystals," which stand unrivaled for the bath, the toilet, or as a healer of cutaneous troubles(sores). It will cure catarrh, and is the best thing to add to the water for the cleansing of delicate fabrics and is unsurpassed for general laundry.


I'm thinking this is a stove polish or blacking bottle and NOT a poison....Jim

 

[epackage]

The key was to Google "Henry R. Costar" and not Costars, the "'s" thru me off in my quest but I found it....Jim

http://books.google.com/books?id=ZJi9P1eCf3MC&pg=PA208&lpg=PA208&dq=%22henry+r.+costar%22&source=bl&ots=C1uHjr4pvN&sig=DxJYAWNeWmNWCLCWDZiDvQAwakM&hl=en&ei=YU2tTpOEO8rc0QHs4NzGDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result#v=onepage&q=%22henry%20r.%20costar%22&f=false

 

[|MDB|]

This is an interesting bit of extra info on the COSTAR company of New York. It also relates to lack of proper labeling on their poison products.

"ARRESTED FOR MANSLAUGHTER; OFFICERS OF THE COSTAR COMPANY IN JAIL IN YONKERS. Two Children Died After Eating Rat Exterminator

YONKERS, N.Y., Nov. 15 -- Gilbert L. Richardson. President, and Michael Kelley, Vice President, of the Costar Company, 34 Clinton Place, New-York City, were arrested to-night and locked up on a charge of manslaughter. They are held without bail. The arrests were made by order of Coroner Miles."

Mary Linehan, 4 years of age, fed her 2 year old brother Michael Linehan a spoonful of rat exterminator and then took some herself. The Coroner's report cited that "The label on the box read Costar's Rat and Roach Exterminator. Non-poisonous. No danger in using."

 

[|MDB|]

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[AntiqueMeds]

stove polish or blacking bottle

possible, looks a bit small but its hard to tell in a photo.
How big is it?
Good find on the addition product info , I have only ever seen his bug killer ads which must have been his main sellers.

His non-poisonous claim is obviously highy dubious.

Assuming for a second this was some sort of bug killer (which it may not have been since he sold other stuff)...
The question is "is something sold which is not intended to be a poison still considered a poison bottle?"
There are many products which were probably poisonous (varnishes, mercury, naptha, etc) that I dont think collectors call poisons.
There seems to be some gray areas for poison bottle catagorization.

 

[Poison_Us]

Interesting reads..... love it! Great detective work.

 

[OmegaFirefly]

Hello Poison Group,
I would like to thank everyone for the great effort you put into researching COSTAR for me. Of course, the more that people got involved, the more the "hunt" became a "major search" for truth & knowledge. That is what I think I love the most about bottle digging & collecting and that is the historical researching that goes on when you find something new. Thank God for the Internet and for those who have spent a good deal of their lives loving this hobby and recording their findings. Other than that, it is the feel of old glass in my hands and admiring its beauty that thrills me and, I must say, it is hard for me not to think about the person who used the contents internally for an ailment when I dig a medicine. You see, I collect medicines, mainly cures, and studying the advancement of "natural medicines" entrigues me. Even today, I try to use only natural cures for my own ailments and so far, it is working for me but I must say, there is a place for "Western" medicine for those whose disease has gone too far to be affected by some of the old herbal remedies. The secret is making sure you take care of your body and not abusing it (too much) as the years progress.
So, I thank you all for your time and I really enjoy this forum due to folks like you. You are the cream at the top!
Best regards,
Dave the Digger or OmegaFirefly, whatever you want to call me but be nice)

 

[Poison_Us]

Well, got off the phone with Jerry. And with it's shape, size and the resemblance to other like products, he gives it a 75% chance that it is indeed the rat paste. But he agrees, with no labeled example, we can't be sure.