Neat bottle, but seems dangerous

[ross12387]

I recently found an old brown bottle with a cork sealed pretty tight in my yard. At the bottom there is a lot of white powder that seems to be crystalized. Iam assuming it could be dangerous. Does anyone know what it could be?

 

[Jim]

Welcome to the forum, Ross. That crystallized substance could be just about anything, and yes, very possibly something dangerous. As a collector of poison bottles, this is something that I encounter once in a while. If you want to get rid of the contents and clean out the bottle, please do so carefully and with good ventilation. Try not to touch the stuff. In the old days, you could buy just about anything over the counter from the druggist or general store. This included mercury, arsenic, strychnine, chloroform and other nasty chemicals and medicines that might cure you with one drop, but could kill you with a little more!

As long as you use a little caution, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Also, I do not recommend the bathtub or sink drain for disposal...Some old chemicals, especially acids, can react violently with chemical residues and even the metal in the drain. This will fill your house with some very foul-smelling and noxious vapors [:'(] Good luck with getting your bottle cleaned up. May we see a picture of it? Thanks. Jim

 

[ross12387]

thanks for the reply. i will post a picture at the end of the weekend.