Pharmaceutical bottles

Heather Place <heatherplace [at] hotmail__com> writes

>I recently found some bottles in our drugstore display containing
>Tr. Arnica. Tr.Nuc.Vom.  Tr. Iodi and Pv. Jalapa. All look as though
>the contents inside have created such a pressure that the glass
>bottles have cracked...

Based on the information below, it might be a good idea to clean out
the Tr. Nuc. Vom. and Jalapa bottles and destroy the contents; the
other items are not likely to be a problem and they have likely
already outgassed as much as they will.

The lids are not described, but iodine should have been in a glass
stoppered bottle (and the description, "I tried pulling out the Tr.
Iodi lid" suggests that that bottle had a stopper of glass or cork)
but corks are very common.  By this time, the corks will be dry and
will probably break if an attempt is made to remove them.  You can
try to soften the corks with a solution of water and ethyl alcohol
(which was used to produce the medications) but I wouldn't hold out
a great deal of hope.

If the stoppers are glass, you can try the water:alcohol around the
stopper and if you think the bottles will stand the strain, set the
bottles, one at a time, in a warm water bath and hope the increased
pressure inside the bottle will pop the stopper before extending any
cracks.  And then glue the labels back on....

From

    Principles of Pharmacy
    by Henry V. Arny, Philadelphia,
    W.B. Saunders Co. 1924.

        Tr. Arnica: from the flowers or root of _Arnica montana
        Linne, developed by alcoholic percolation; prob. originally
        a 40% tincture.

            (A vulnerary; wound dressing.)

        Tr. Nuc. Vom: strychnine

            (Nervous stimulant and bitter tonic.)

        Tr. Iodi: Alcoholic solution of iodine and potassium iodide.

            (Sterilizing agent.)

        PV Jalapa:  Alcoholic solution of a tuberous root of
        Exogonium Purga, same family as morning glory, and dried to
        a powder.

            (Hydragogue cathartic, that is, a drug producing watery
            stools.)

        Where "Tr." means a tincture and "PV" means a powder.

Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Lab.
Portland, Oregon
USA
503-735-3942 (voice/fax)


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:16
                 Distributed: Sunday, September 3, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-14-16-002
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