Powers & Weightman Apothecary Bottle Quinine Sulphate

Description

Powers & Weightman Apothecary Bottle Quinine Sulphate

 

Original glass apothecary bottle retaining its full paper label for “Quininae Sulphas / Quinine Sulphate,” with the pictorial factory vignette and marked “Powers & Weightman, Manufacturing Chemists, Philadelphia.” The bottle remains corked.

 

Powers & Weightman stood among the foremost pharmaceutical producers of the 19th century, supplying critical medicines to both civilian and military markets during the Civil War. Quinine sulphate was one of the most important drugs of the era—widely used as the primary treatment and preventative for malaria, a disease that incapacitated vast numbers of soldiers, particularly in southern campaigns. It was also administered as a general febrifuge to reduce fevers and was considered an essential component of army medical stores.

 

The retained contents provide a rare and tangible connection to 19th-century medical practice, enhancing both interpretive and display value. The label shows expected age wear and minor losses, but remains largely intact and highly legible.

 

A scarce and highly desirable Civil War-period pharmaceutical artifact, representing one of the most vital medicinal compounds of the conflict.

 

Inventory Number: MED 333