My Most Recent Addition....

[rick_ingram]

As you know from a previous thread, I collect pharmacy antiques as one of my hobbies/compulsions. Here's a picture of my most recent addition to my apothecary bottle collection.

Used to be legal...now only available in a "downsized" version as Marinol. The real stuff is a classed by the DEA as a Schedule I drug, same class as heroin.

This bottle is from the late 1800's.....

 

[tony barnhill]

I know where there's a farm in Kansas where hemp was once farmed back when it was widely used to make rope...today it grows wild all over a hillside! Farmer has a hard time keeping people off his property....

 

[NutmegCT]

Rick - wasn't cocaine legal all the way through the 19th century? It was once in the "secret formula" of CocaCola. Ever found any old pharmacy bottles for it?

Tom

 

[anthony7777]

rick Ingram, i notice that jar is empty, guess it just went up in smoke.

 

[vagt6]

Laudinum (opium derivitive - very powerful/addictive) could be purchased at the local drug store probably about the same time that cannabis vial was full.

The "good old days"???

Nah.

 

[Brooklands]

Reminds me of the paragoric acid my mom used to rub on my gums for teething. I found an old bottle of this when I had problems with my wisdom teeth, and the opium derivative sure helped with the pain...

 

[NutmegCT]

And in the 19th century there was a *tremendous* problem around the country with women addicted to laudanum (originally given during childbirth), and men addicted to alcohol.

Massachusetts even tried to cut down on alcoholism, by outlawing the sale of "ardent spirits" in amounts less than a barrel. No one could afford a barrel!

So tavern owners got wise: some actually sold the empty glass, and filled it with "free" whisky to prove it didn't leak.

T.

 

[Brooklands]

It is interesting how much this group knows about illegal drugs and such.

 

[vping]

My personal drug of choice...MG.

 

[Brooklands]

My personal drug of choice...MG.

I have heard that it can be habit forming, even addictive.

 

[Don_Neff]

> cocaine legal all the way through the 19th century?
>It was once in the "secret formula" of Coca Cola

Cocaine/codine is great for soothing upset stomach pains and problems. Coca Cola was originally marketed as a stomach tonic - it was green in those days, not brown.

Laudanum was still available by mail order from the Sears catalog in the early 1900s.

Vicks' cough syrups contained codine which was the most effective ingredient against coughs. Since codine has been banned in the USA our cough syrups don't work.

However, Vicks' cough syrup with codine is still available in other countries. Ironically, its made in the USA for export to those countries.

 

[Guest]

And didn't 7UP originally have lithium in it? Wow, talk about smooth out the day!

 

[rick_ingram]

> <snip> codine which was the most effective ingredient against coughs. Since codine has been banned in the USA our cough syrups don't work.

However, Vicks' cough syrup with codine is still available in other countries. Ironically, its made in the USA for export to those countries.

Codeine is still available by prescription in the US...and is used quite frequently both in pain relievers as well as cough supressants...

For example:

Acetaminophen/Codeine #2, #3, #4 (15mg-30mg-60mg) for pain

Robitussin AC (Cheratussin AC) for cough suppression

Fiorinal/Codene - for migraine headache