Page 38 - Pharmacy History 37 Nov 2009

A brief history of embossed pharmacy bottles
From our US Correspondent, Ed Miller
Prior to 1778 and the American
Civil War, medicine bottles were
not embossed or provision made for labeling the contents on the glass. Directions for taking the medicine or the name of the drug store or druggist were printed on a piece of paper and tied to the neck of the bottle. This practice was also used in Europe and many other civilised countries at the time.
When peace returned to the nation it was marked by what soon became known as Americas ‘Iron Age’ and the new technology was even applied to the glass industry, opening up a whole new market particularly in the manufacture of glass containers.
In the pharmaceutical field, bottles bearing the product name or that of the pharmacy in raised lettering added to the attractiveness of the prescription and the prestige of the dispenser.
Embossing required a blank plate mould. Soon the large glass companies, both in the US as well as in England, were using the ‘plate mould’ in the manufacture of their prescription bottles.
Using this simple technique it became financially possible for the smaller pharmacist/druggist to have their own personalised embossed bottles by paying for the engraving on a blank plate.
An iron mold did not lose its detail from constant exposure to the heat thus encouraging the use of embossed bottles.
Sales catalogues for glass manufacturing companies such as Whitall Tatum Co. (WT Co.)(WT
& Co.) of Millville, New Jersey began including photographs of sample plates used in plate moulds. These plates pictured sample descriptive lettering
in various type styles and some with designs i.e., mortar and pestle. The catalogue also contained standard bottle shapes and sizes. Once the company received an order, they would insert the customer’s personalised
plate in the bottle mould and blow
a supply of bottles. Nearly all bottles manufactured were clear glass although some were colored. They were limited to amber and occasionally green or blue. At one time bottle manufacturers used manganese oxide in making their glass. Consequently, a number of bottles have a ‘purple’ hue caused by the sun rays reaction to the manganese oxide over a period of time.
Whitall Tatum opened a sales office in Sydney to supply the demands for their bottles in Australia and New Zealand.
Embossed medicine bottles from many well known pharmacies in Australia are very collectable
38 Pharmacy History Australia
volume 5 no 37 NOVEMBER 2009