Robbie-
I have found a few references to Church's Cough Drops which may add a little
information to what you have. Your bottle is described in Frederick
Nielsen's "Great American Pontiled Medicines", 1978, on p. 23. Church's
Cough Drops and many other medicines marketed by Church are listed in P. A.
Putnam's "Bottled Before 1865," 1968, p. 15. The first mention of the
product in this reference is for the year,1800, when Dr. Church's Cough
Drops were advertised modestly as "best in world" and were priced at $1.00 a
bottle. Other products attributed to Dr. Church in 1800 included Dr.
Church's Chemical Essence and Extract of Mustard ("cures gout and palsy"),
Dr. Church's Antispasmodic Elixir ("cures all fits"), etc. Putnam's book
shows an ad for Dr. Church's Genuine Vegetable Lotion published in the
"Weekly Museum," a New York periodical, dated April 9, 1803. Of possible
interest is the comment "This vegetable lotion is invented by Dr. Church,
and administered by him for several years in Europe and America with the
most unparalleled success." A variety of Dr. Church's medicines are also
referred to in John Odell's "Pontil Medicine Encyclopedia: A Look at
America's Pre-Civil War Medicine Bottles," 2000, p. 50-51. In 1840, Dr.
Church's Cough Drops was advertised in the New York Herald "for catarrh,
shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, consumption." At the time, Dr.
Church had a Dispensary in New York City at 189 Bowery at the corner of
Spring St. In 1840, he was still selling his Antispasmodic Elixir, Essence
Mustard, and Vegetable Lotion, among other products.
Hope this is helpful.
Allen Vegotsky
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robbie B Mann" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 1:07 PM
Subject: Re: Church's cough drops
> I have two embossed bottles I am trying to track down some information on.
> Both are from a privy context (ca. 1860-1890) associated with a hotel in
> St. Francisville, Louisiana. I have checked the standard sources (e.g.,
> Fike 1987, Wilson and Wilson 1971, R. Wilson 1981, Switzer 1974) and Bill
> Hunt's on-line bottle glass index (a great resource BTW) and have come up
> empty handed so far.
>
> The first is a square (113mm x 30mm), aqua, medicine bottle. It is
> embossed:
> CHURCH'S//COUGH/DROPS//PREPARED/AT/ No 188/BOWERY//NEW YORK. It appears
> that James Church developed cough drops ca. 1800 and they were being
> advertised in English newspapers by 1810-1811.
>
> The second is a true octagonal (140mm x 37mm), clear, culinary bottle
> (peppersauce?). It is embossed:
> F. JUNG & Co./LEIPZIG.
>
> Any leads will be appreciated.
>
> Rob
>
> *****************************************
> Rob Mann, Ph.D.
> Southeast Regional Archaeologist
> Museum of Natural Science
> 119 Foster Hall
> Louisiana State University
> Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803
> [log in to unmask]
> 225.578.6739
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