Triangular brown glass bottle (a) of Stearns Wine of cod liver oil extract with sloped shoulders and long neck; stamped aluminum seal covers bottle's stopper and part of neck; pair of cream paper labels with one in English and other in French; side of bottle with manufacturer’s name embossed; label…
Triangular brown glass bottle (a) of Stearns Wine of cod liver oil extract with sloped shoulders and long neck; stamped aluminum seal covers bottle's stopper and part of neck; pair of cream paper labels with one in English and other in French; side of bottle with manufacturer’s name embossed; label states benefits and its dosage information; full bottle, not used; three layer packaging (b) with inner layer of thick brown corrugated paper, fine wood shavings and thin brown paper.
Number Of Parts
2
Part Names
a - bottle - Size: Length 26.2 cm x Width 7.3 cm x Depth 7.3 cm
b - packaging - Size: 24.8 cm x Width 13.8 cm x Depth 3.8 cm
Provenance
Transferred from the Parks Canada Agency, via Gail Cariou of the Curatorial and Collections Branch.
Printed on English label: "STEARNS' // WINE // (Vinum Ext. Morrhuae, Stearns) // Stearns' Wine of Cod Liver Ext. // with Peptonate of Iron is // an original and elegant preparation which contains a specially prepared concentrated // extract of fresh cod livers. The livers // used contain all their natural Cod Liver Oil, so // that this concentrated extract represents // extractive matter to be found in the oil // as well as in the liver itself. Each fluid // ounce of the wine contains four grains of // Peptonate of Iron. This preparation // is entirely free from the oily or fatty // matter of Cod Liver Oil and is therefore // pleasant to the taste 10954 // DOSE: For Adults one tablespoonful before // mealtime and at bedtime if necessary. For // children according to age and requirement."; stamped on seal: "FREDERICK STEARNS & Co // MANUFACTURING PHARMACISTS // DETROIT, MICH U.S.A // WINDSOR ONTARIO CANADA"; embossed on bottle's side: "FREDERICK STEARNS & CO DETROIT MICH"; embossed on bottle's base: "82".
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
a) 0010-A5-2 Row C
b) 0010-A6-3
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Condition Remarks
Paper has yellowed; English label has minor tears and wrinkles along bottom edge; packaging's exterior paper layer has significant tears running through it; all layers of paper are frayed; wood shavings are crumbling apart and no longer contained
Manufacturing sites listed on bottle's label; cod liver oil's uses described: Wendt, Diane, "The Man with a Fish on His Back: Science, Romance, and Repugnance in the Selling of Cod-Liver Oil," Chemical Heritage Magazine (Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, PA): http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/media/magazine/articles/28-1-the-man-with-a-fish-on-his-back.aspx?page=3
Research Facts
Frederick H. Stearns was a Druggist in Detroit from the late 1850s until around 1899. He started out working with Lewis Higby in Higby & Stearns - Pharmaceutical Druggists. Stearns took over the business sometime in the 1860s. From that time on it was called Frederick Stearns & Co. In 1885, he advertised the following four hair preparations: "Dye," "Bleacher," "Promoter," and "Dresser." He also listed his "Bandoline Hair Dressing," patented in 1868, which was probably the most popular of the group. The business was bought out by Sterling Products in 1944. They sold a wide variety of patent medicines. Frederick Stearns & Co. had production sites in both Detroit, Michigan, USA and Windsor, Ontario, Canada; cod liver oil used in the 19th and early 20th centuries to treat consumption, primarily; alongside other infectious diseases.