OT: Apothecary Artifacts Put on Auction Block

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Happy bidding - and have a great weekend!

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

 

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you can think up if only you try!

- Dr Seuss

 

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

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Apothecary Artefacts Put on Auction Block

October 14, 2005 7:05 AM EDT

 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - On the auction block: refined skunk oil, goose

grease, a pack of medicinal cigarettes ( " Promotes easier breathing " ) and

empty bottles that once held cocaine, morphine and amphetamine

multivitamins.

 

Thousands of medicinal products from a bygone era have been pulled from

the basement of one of Alaska's oldest drugstores to be sold to the

highest bidder Saturday.

 

" This is an absolute time capsule of Americana, " said auctioneer Duane

Hill of the collection of pharmaceutical memorabilia.

 

Some of the estimated 3,000 items that once lined the shelves of Seward

Drug Co. date to the early 1900s and are still neatly ensconced in their

original containers.

 

Most of the offerings are long-defunct potions promising relief for

common maladies such as indigestion, constipation, muscle aches and

lethargy. There are antique crutches in various sizes, jars of

amber-colored petroleum jelly and tiny boxes of razors.

 

But there are also historical gems touting outrageous claims that would

be unthinkable today. Often, the packages don't even list all the

ingredients - and don't bother looking for an expiration date.

 

Blosser's eucalyptus-tinged medicinal cigarettes, for example, were said

to treat bronchial ills, asthma and hay fever. It says so right on the

pack, along with a warning to discontinue use for a few days should

rapid pulse or blurring of vision occur.

 

Wo-Wo Tablets, which went for $1 a box in 1906, were billed as a remedy

for all kinds of problems, including sciatica, influenza, menstrual pain

and for whenever " you are out of sorts. "

 

But there also are dangerous poisons, such as arsenic, strychnine and

pesticides containing the now-banned DDT. Products with DDT may not be

sold and will have to be disposed of safely, according to U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency officials, who were among the

authorities checking the inventory this week.

 

" It was very interesting, very unusual, " said EPA coordinator Matthew

Carr. " I've never run into anything like this before. "

 

Products containing controlled substances, such as cocaine and opium,

were seized by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, but most of

the containers were returned because of their collectible value, said

Christine Hill, owner of the Alaska Auction Company, which is holding

Saturday's sale live and online.

 

Because of the delicate nature of the cache, buyers' names and contact

information will be released to authorities, she said. Buyers also will

have to arrange handling and shipping of many of the items.

 

And, they caution, the products are for show only.

 

" None of this stuff can be used or ingested, " Hill said. " It's for

historical purposes only. "

 

Most of the lot was stored for decades in the basement of the Seward

Drug Co., which started in 1904 as the first apothecary shop in the town

of Seward, about 80 miles south of Anchorage. The store burned down in

1941 but owner James Woern believes much of what was stored in the

basement survived.

 

A retired pharmacist, Woern stopped selling prescription medications

several years ago and moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He left his

daughter in charge of the store, which continued as a souvenir shop with

some of the old medicines decorating the walls - " a bit of a tourist

attraction themselves, " he said.

 

After 34 years, Woern is selling the business.

 

" It's a relief to find a way to disperse of these old artifacts, " he

said. " I don't know what I would have done with them. "

 

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On the Net:

 

http://www.alaskaauction.com