Rare Genuine, Swaims Panacea Philadelphia Very early tombstone shaped.

[cobaltbot]

Great bottle and newspaper evidence! Amazing, the Dr Quackinboss connection and his ad statement: "Desirous that this medicine not be numbered with the host of quack medicines constantly advertised throughout the Union as infallible,...." and he adds mercury to help cure "... that dreadful disease occasioned by an excessive use of Mercury." The bottom is unique but the fluted corners remind me of the Dyott bottles. The straight and rounded Swaims versions both have the fluted corners. What do the Lee's bottles look like?

 

[Steve/sewell]

From Gunthers site the first Lees medicine bottle Steve.

 

[Steve/sewell]

From my own collection Dyotts medicines I posted earlier this year.The paper label Dyott is similar to the Lees.

 

[JOETHECROW]

Steve,...I don't think Edgar cared for Swaim...I'm not sure what year he was treated yet,..I'm trying to research it but have a pounding headache...(Maybe some Swaim's would help?)[] Perhaps I'll post the link to this info and a LOT of other fascinating info about botanicals, and vegetable componds etc... I also found this searching "Swaim's"....




Gaultheria (The Oil)
Gaultheria procumbensThe first record of the therapeutical use of this oil, as is often the case with valuable medicines, is to be found in empirical medicine. The proprietary remedy, very popular about the beginning of this century under the name "Panacea of Swaim," or "Swaim's Panacea," introduced it.

This remedy gave added impetus to our Compound Syrup of Sarsaparilla, having become so popular as to force itself to the attention of the profession. The Sarsaparilla Compound of the name "Sirup or Rob Anti-Syphilitica" was closely associated with Swaim's Panacea and Ellis, 1843, after giving the formula of "Sirup Rob Antisyphilitica" in his Formulary, p. 67, says: "The above preparation has been asserted, by the New York Medical Society, to be nearly identical with the noted Panacea of Swaim."

That oil of gaultheria was a constituent of Swaim's remedy and that it was brought into conspicuity therein, may also be seen from an analysis of Swaim's Panacea (by Chilton) recorded in the Am. J. Med. Sciences, 1829, p. 542. The following reprint from an anonymous writer in the American Journal of Pharmacy, 1831, establishes the subject more clearly in that it gives a very fair description of oil of gaultheria as well as making a statement to the effect that it is the same as sweet birch oil, and showing further that many different plants yield the same oil.

Oil of Gaultheria procumbens:—"This is the heaviest essential oil of which we have any knowledge, for I have found it to be 1.17. This furnishes us with an easy mode of testing its purity. The wonderful success of Swaim's Panacea has brought this oil into great vogue with all venders of Catholicons, Panaceas, and Syrups of Sarsaparilla.

 

[JOETHECROW]

Great and interesting info and bottles,...please keep it going... Here's that link ,....To John Uri Loyd's book,..."The History of the Vegetable Drugs of the U.S.P."


http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/lloyd-hist/index.html

 

[JOETHECROW]

This is the only mention of a date I found.


William Swaim, having been cured of a disease, possibly venereal, by a physician’s remedy, about 1822, ferreted out the ingredients, added to them oil of wintergreen for flavor, and extensively advertised his “panacea,â€

 

[JOETHECROW]

So,..going by the significant date in your newspaper ad, Steve,...we can discount the above info as inaccurate (at least the 1822 date))

 

[cobaltbot]

One of the abundent sources of Oil of Wintergreen or methyl salicylate is the Sweet Birch tree also known as cherry birch or black birch. It is one of the most common trees out of around fourty species that grow on our land.

 

[JOETHECROW]

So,...Steve C. Do you suppose they would tap these Birch trees the way we do Maples, when obtaining the sap to boil into syrup?

 

[Steve/sewell]

Another Newspaper Joe, The National Gazette and Literary Register this one from Nov. 1820 almost an identicle ad in this one a little larger font.
This newspaper is nine years later.Check it out.