| Reference Number | MIMM/2014-3/9 |
| Title | Corrosive Sublimate Bottle |
| Date | 1900-1949 |
| Creator Name | Burroughs, Wellcome & Co., pharmaceutical company, 1880- |
| Description | This is an empty bottle of Soloid Corrosive Sublimate, produced by Burroughs Wellcome & Co. It is a cobalt blue, triangular, glass-stoppered bottle designed to store and dispense a highly toxic antiseptic compound. The bottle has longitudinal embossed patterns on each side, a common feature in early poison bottles to help with tactile identification and reduce the risk of accidental ingestion.
Two sides of the bottle bear labels. The larger label is printed in red ink and reads: "Soloid Corrosive Sublimate (Hydrarg. Perchlor.) gr. 8 x 75 (0.567 gm.). Directions: One dissolved in a pint of water forms a solution of 1 to 1000. Note – The colour is due to a harmless ingredient added as a safeguard against errors. 607 POISON Burroughs Wellcome & Co., London Made in England." The term "hydrarg. perchlor." refers to hydrargyri perchloridum, the Latin name for mercuric chloride, also known as corrosive sublimate.
The smaller label states "Drugs and Pharmacy Act, 1908," indicating that the bottle and its contents complied with British pharmaceutical regulations at the time. Due to the damage of stains and wear and tear, the label is not fully readable.
The cork stopper is damaged, and the surface of the bottle appears stained and cracked.
This bottle was an essential tool listed in the outfit required for midwifery nurses, as indicated by Fannin (1908) in their surgical instruments catalogue (p. 247). |
| Extent | 1 item |
| Dimensions | 60mm x 25mm x 35mm |
| Digital Collections | View online in our digital collections |
| Copyright | Free to use under the terms of the Creative Commons Licence Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) |
| Credit Line | Royal College of Physicians of Ireland |
| Object Name | Medicine Packaging |
| Term | Anti-Infective Agents |
| Midwifery -- instrumentation |