Price's Patent Candle Co.

[GuntherHess]

Price's Patent Candle Co

From what I have read, one of the contents was glycerine, which could be considered medicinal.
You may ask "what is an English bottle doing in an American price guide". My thought was to list some English bottles (ones that didnt have obvious city names on them) so collectors would know they are imports . You can often tell British bottles just by the lip style, color, or other features. Some of them are a bit harder to tell. Nothing against the British , but for the most part I don't see as much interest (and value) from American collectors in those bottles. Its good to know if you are paying for what looks like a rare medicine to know if its American or foreign.

 

[grimdigger1]

These are readily collected as cures in the UK ,,They contained a type of glycerine which was taken a a cough cure either on its own or mixed with honey etc to make it taste better..
These bottles are also found with prices patent soap company embossed instead of candle and the soap ones are twice the price of the candle varieties..
The come pontilled and non pontilled in aqua and light blue ,cobalt blue in two sizes the double capacities are very rare ..
Ther is also an amber one in existance but the whereabouts of this bottle is unknown since the 1980s

 

[portland med. man]

here`s one i dug up in maine very nice bottle and from what the boys over the pond say somewhat rare , especially in the us....

 

[portland med. man]

here`s a cool druggist i got at the same place pure drugs...

 

[Bluegrass]

Hi Grim--the one I dug certainly had paraffin and wax in it. Once you took the cork out, it stunk to high hell. I just can't imagine that being swallowed by anyone.

John

 

[Bluegrass]

Here's a link that might help

http://www.vauxhallandkennington.org.uk/candles.shtml

I have read three different articles on the company and none suggest that anything was ever made for human consumption. They do mention a salve for burns and skin disorders. They also speak of the paraffin+wax mixture I spoke of: it was used for burning in oil lamps etc. Then, of course, there is the soap they made. Boy I'd love to see a pic of one with soap company written on it--must be rare as hens teeth!

John

 

[capsoda]

Glycerine is rendered from animal fat and is used as a medicine, in candle making and in fat burning lamps, among other things.

Paraffin is a by-product of gasoline and is used in candle making as a lubricant and to make plastic, among other things.

Wax comes from bees and is used in making candles, as a lubricant and in foods and medicines and too many other things to mention.

The bottle you have probably held kerosene which was called paraffin oil in Old English and Colonial English. It was used as a medicine to sterilize wounds and to move the bowels and as lamp oil.

You can referance anything I have stated in dictionarys and encyclopedias plus I have witnessed the use of kerosine to sterilize wounds on humans when I was a boy. The really old timers used it for alot of weird things.

Hey Matt, I'd say leave it in your book. If you take out all the quack medicines your book will only be 2 or 3 pages. LoL

 

[Bluegrass]

No one doubts your profound knowledge on the subject of glycerine and its multiple uses!
I'm only interested in what was in the Patent Candle bottles. The link I gave is a brief summary of their products. Don't take my word for it, take theirs. []

John

 

[David E]

Only one I find in "FIKE"
WITCH CREME PRICE
DRUGGIST SALEM MASS

Advertised 1875; 1910, AD
Color & Dimens. unk.

Dave

 

[bearswede]

the subject of glycerine and its multiple uses!
I'm only interested in what was in the Patent Candle bottles. The link I gave is a brief summary of their products.

Clearly, the company produced glycerine which had medicinal properties and was likely to have been sold in the bottles in question (and, no doubt, these generically labled bottles contained other products as well such as the one you dug)...

Mystery pretty much solved...

Ron