Genuine Chinese Green Drops

[AndyR]

Hi everyone - Here' s my own mystery bottle. Although I have never seen another one before, it may be very common for all I know. In any case, I have loved it since the day I found it in northern Massachusetts, as I walked along a large expanse of fresh dug up bottle dump that was being exposed for highway expansion!

The bottle is embossed in the extreme! It is just clear and BIM. The words on one panel read GENUINE CHINESE // GREEN DROPS and on the opposite panel A. GIESECKE MFG // MILWAUKEE, WIS. Then on one of the two curved side panels is an incredibly detailed embossed image of a chinese apothecary in his shop, preparing his medicine. I hope thi picture gives you a good idea of what I mean. I' d love to know more about the product, what it was supposed to cure, and when it was supposed to be made. Oh yeah, and is it common or rare? Can anybody please shed some light on this bottle? Thanks.

 

[AndyR]

Is there really and truly no one that knows anything about this Green Drops bottle? Has anyone even seen one before? I figured it must show up in mid-western U.S. bottle shows from time to time!

HELP! []

 

[woody]

I' ve dug bottles in central New Hampshire for many years and have never seen your bottle before.
It' s pretty easy to determine it was a local apothecary bottle from Milwaukee, Wis.
Nice medicine bottle with loads of character.

 

[largepox]

Think that this is the older essence of hein fong. Was made by vitacorp in Wis. and the FDA did them in. It can now be obtained from a pharmacist in Aberdeen, SD. Largepox in Branson, Mo.

 

[surfaceone]

Hello Brian,

Welcome, and thanks for this timely announcement. You're referring to another product entirely, ie. Knorr's Essence of Hein Fong, and I'm wondering what possessed you to visit us with this news...

"KNORR'S GENUINE HIEN FONG ESSENCE BOTTLE, DETROIT, MICH." Thanks Matt.

Mr. Bottles.

 

[blobbottlebob]

Hey Andy,
Sorry I didn't respond earlier. Just saw the post now. The picture of the aqua bottle above is the one I found a few years back. I believe that the green drops were a medicinal remedy for pain. The bottles are fairly rare - though I think the aqua ones are a bit earlier. The colorless glass examples have the advantage of being embossed and the aqua ones weren't. I know an advanced collector that has one or two in every display cabinet - which means he really likes and values them. Collectors generally want them because they are fairly rare and major cool. Congrats on the neat find. I have no idea of what it was doing there or how it got there.

 

[MINNESOTA DIGGER]

have dug this bottle a few times

 

[MINNESOTA DIGGER]

this bottle was dug up in oshkosh wis

 

[blobbottlebob]

Congrats Mark. That's a dandy bottle.

 

[blobbottlebob]

Here's a link to a current auction of green 'essence'. Looks to be a bit more modern but it has a partial label that is interesting. (allegedly) Treats lots of problems including headaches, toothaches, earaches, colic, and spasmodic pains of the stomache. Label has German print on one side! Also claims that it does not contain more than 70% alcohol. Meaning it is mostly just booze.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-BOTTLE-GIESECKES-GREEN-ESSENCE-MILWAUKEE-WI-WISCONSIN-MEDICINE-RARE-/110959573846?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d5b4bb56#ht_2851wt_849