Elliptical based semi-transparent brown glass Rexall Spirit Ammonia Aromatic bottle with non-removable painted white metal screw cap; one third full with transparent liquid; base is textured with elliptical push up and embossed manufacturers information; slightly rounded front and back walls and ro…
Elliptical based semi-transparent brown glass Rexall Spirit Ammonia Aromatic bottle with non-removable painted white metal screw cap; one third full with transparent liquid; base is textured with elliptical push up and embossed manufacturers information; slightly rounded front and back walls and round side walls; round ribbed shoulders taper to short cylindrical neck, round neck ring, and cylindrical finish with external continuous thread; mold lines on sides from base to top and around neck and base; rectangular cream and blue paper label with printed product information and dosage attached to front; cap has flat top with ring indentation near edge, vertical indentations on exterior sides, rolled bottom edge, and internal continuous thread; part of contents in Rexall First Aid Kit (018.011.001).
Presence of Dominion Glass Company letter date code on bottom of bottle, only used from 1941 to 1953, and embossed “2” year code
Material
glass: brown
paper: cream
ink: blue, navy
metal: grey
paint: white
Inscriptions
Printed on bottle label: “1 FLUID OUNCE // Rexall // SPIRIT // AMMONIA // AROMATIC // B. P. // Dose: From one [Illeg.] // to one teaspoonful [Illeg.] // little water // REXALL DRUG [Illeg.] // LIMITED // TORONTO, CA[Illeg.] // Los Angeles, St. [Illeg.] // Boston, U. S. A.”; embossed on base: “B D 2”
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-D4-7
Permanent Location Notes
Stored inside Rexall First Aid Kit (018.011.001)
Length
8.3 cm
Width
4.0 cm
Depth
2.4 cm
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Condition Remarks
Major bleeding of pigment on bottle label, obscuring some text; label stiff and separating from bottle at bottom; major chipping of paint on cap, especially near top edge
Copy Type
original
Reference Types
Website
Document
Reference Comments
“First Aid.” Merriam-Webster, 2019. Accessed 22 June 2019.
“Company.” Rexall, Rexall Pharmacy Group Ltd., 2019. Accessed 18 July 2019.
“The World’s Largest Drugstore.” J. H. Graham, 2017. Accessed 18 July 2019.
“Aromatic Ammonia – Inhalation.” MedicineNet, 2019. Accessed 19 June 2019.
Miller, George and Elizabeth A. Jorgensen. “Some Notes on Bottle Mould Numbers from the Dominion Glass Company and its Predecessors.” Parks Canada, 1984.
Research Facts
This artifact is part of a first aid kit; First Aid is a broad term that refers to aid or treatment of the sick or injured before full medical treatment can be received; First Aid kits are designed to provide easy access to a variety of medical materials for fast treatment of minor wounds or to stabilize more serious conditions before additional treatment.
Rexall began in 1903 in Boston, U. S. A., as the United Drug Company; the Rexall name, meaning “King of All,” first gained popularity in Canada in 1904; Rexall became an industry leader in retail pharmaceuticals and produced and sold a wide variety of products
Aromatic ammonia is used to prevent and treat fainting and aid in overcoming the effects of anesthesia by encouraging the body to breath; ammonia can be taken orally in solution with water or placed on a fabric rag and inhaled; large doses or prolonged exposure to ammonia is harmful.
The D in diamond symbol and date codes embossed on the bottom indicates the bottle itself was made by Canadian glass manufacturer Dominion Glass Company in Wallaceburg, Ontario; the “B” and “2” date codes signify it was likely produced in either 1942 or 1952.