Smith's Chill Syrup - Laurel Delaware medicine

[herndonbottles]

I picked this medicine bottle up at an antique shop on Virginia's eastern shore while on vacation after Christmas with my wife. It's embossed Smith's Chill Syrup on one indented side panel and Laurel, Delaware on the opposite side panel. It's bluish aqua with tooled top and looks to be from the 1880s or 1890s. It had some caked on dust like it had been found in attic.
I haven't been able to find any reference to it in any my books. I did find with a google search this entry:
From the 1887 Annual report of the Commissioner of Patents under the
Alphabetical list of registrants of labels
Smith, George E., Laurel Del. "Smith's Chill Syrup"
Another search revealed he "Studied medicine and practiced in Laurel for many years. George E. Smith born in Laurel in August 4, 1850 at age 16 began study of pharmacy and got into the drug business in 1873"
Laurel Delaware had a population of around 3000 by 1900 and is located just north on Maryland line on U.S. 13.

 

[herndonbottles]

Anyone hear of this small town Delaware medicine? Since he was a druggist I wouldn't be suprised if there were some drugstore bottles out there with his name.
-Peter

 

[GuntherHess]

Neat local medicine. Never saw one before.
I see an small ad for it in the 1888 Denton MD Journal.
Denton must be right over the state border from Laurel.
Malaria was a big threat back then in those mosquito laiden areas (even in DC).

 

[div2roty]

Denton's not too close to Laurel, even today by car, let alone back then. i don't have my delaware medicine list in front of me now, but I'll look it up for you. Although the list is old and outdated. I've recently started collecting delaware pharms from the lower part of the state, so if you want to sell it, I'd be interested.

 

[GuntherHess]

I guess close is a relative term. How far away can something be in Del[]
Now in Texas sometimes far means you just cant get there from here[]

 

[div2roty]

yeah, but there is not really a direct route even today, so it would've been a bitch on horseback.

Those guys (pharmacist) moved around a lot down here though. The best would be to live in Delmar (which is on the line of del and md). You could move 50 feet and switch states. Might have been helpful long ago at tax time.

 

[div2roty]

Gunther,

I just don't want you md guys trying to give Denton to Delaware. Have you ever been there? we don't want it, maryland can keep it.

 

[GuntherHess]

From the tiny size of the ad the guy bought he must not have been doing to great.

 

[GuntherHess]

I just don't want you md guys trying to give Denton to Delaware.

Hey as far as I'm concerned Del can have all the flat parts of Maryland[]

Dont think I have been in Denton, are they doing chicken pluckin or oyster shuckin there?

 

[div2roty]

Hey as far as I'm concerned Del can have all the flat parts of Maryland

Dont think I have been in Denton, are they doing chicken pluckin or oyster shuckin there?

As best I can tell, in caroline county (where Denton is the county seat) they rust out cars on their front lawns. I'm not sure what the pay is for that though