University Health Network - Academy of Medicine Collection
Category
Archival
Pharmacy
Classification
Pharmacy, General
Archival
Archival, Advertisements
Accession Number
1977.12.48 a-c
Description
Transparent octagonal based glass bottle containing Groblewski’s Rattlesnake Brand Liniment (a) with non-removable cylindrical black metal screw cap, tan and pink cardboard packaging box (b) and rectangular tan paper instruction booklet (c); bottle one quarter full with brown liquid; bottle has fla…
Transparent octagonal based glass bottle containing Groblewski’s Rattlesnake Brand Liniment (a) with non-removable cylindrical black metal screw cap, tan and pink cardboard packaging box (b) and rectangular tan paper instruction booklet (c); bottle one quarter full with brown liquid; bottle has flat sides with recesses on front, back, right, and left; bottle has round shoulders, cylindrical neck, round neck ring, and cylindrical finish with continuous external thread; mold lines on sides from base to top and around neck; embossed manufacturers information on bottom and arch topped rectangular cream paper label with product information printed in red ink attached to front; cap has domed top with embossed ring, vertical ridges on exterior sides, rolled bottom edge, and internal continuous thread; box is tall and rectangular with product information and directions printed in English on front and in Polish on back; box opens at top with folding flaps; broken red paper seals with product information attached to top and bottom of box; instruction booklet consists of long folded paper sheets bound with two grey metal staples at fold; booklet contains product directions and additional product advertisements printed in black ink in English at front and Polish inversed at back.
Number Of Parts
3
Part Names
a – bottle – Length 13.1 cm Width 4.2 cm Depth 2.2 cm
b – box – Length 14.4 cm Width 4.9 cm Depth 2.9 cm
c – instruction booklet – Length 18.7 cm Width 10.7 cm
Groblewski began producing medicine in 1892, direction booklet claims “making for over 50 years”
Material
glass: clear
paper: cream, tan
ink: black, red, pink
metal: black, brass, grey
Inscriptions
Printed on bottle label: “AV. CONTENTS 1 FL. OZ. // ZMIJECZNIK // GROBLEWSKI’S // LINIMENT // RATTLESNAKE BRAND // This Liniment Contains // ALCOHOL 41 %; ETHER 99 M. to // 1 Fl. Oz., CHLOROFORM 75 M. to // 1 Fl. Oz., AMMONIA WATER, // SAFROL 5 %; OIL OF PEPPERMINT // 3 %; CAMPHOR .8 %; IMITATION // OIL OF WINTERGREEN 2 %; MEN- // THOL, TR. BENZOIN COMP., OIL // CAJEPUT. // FOR EXTERNAL USE // See booklet for directions. // PRICE 35 CENTS // THE PROPIETARY OR PATENT // MEDICINE ACT, NO. 15874 // Manufactured by // A. G. GROBLEWSKI & CO. // Made in U. S. A. PLYMOUTH, PA.”; printed on front of box: “AV. CONTENTS 1 FL. OZ. // ZMIJECZNIK // GROBLEWSKI’S // LINIMENT // RATTLESNAKE BRAND // Reg. U. S. Pat. Office & Canada // This Liniment Contains // Alcohol 41 %; Ether 99 M. to // 1 Fl. oz., Chloroform 75 M. to // 1 Fl. oz., Amonia Water; // Safrol 5 %; Oil of Peppermint // 3 %; Camphor .8 %; Imitation // Oil of Wintergreen 2 %; Men- // thol, Tr. Benzoin Comp., Oil // Cajeput. // For External Use // Apply freely for relief of // Soreness in Muscles and Ten- // dons following over-exertion // and exposure, sometimes re- // sulting in Muscular Cramps // or Stiff Neck. // Also for Minor // Burns, Bruises, Stings of // Mosquitoes and other insects, // or for general use whenever // a good Liniment is indicated. // See enclosed booklet for // directions. // MANUFACTURED BY // ALBERT G. GROBLEWSKI & CO., // PLYMOUTH, PA.”; printed of proper right side of box: “THIS // END // UP // PRICE // 35 // CENTS // THE PROPRIETARY // OR PATENT // MEDICINE ACT // NO. 15874 // MADE IN U. S. A.”; printed on proper left side of box: “NOTICE // When you buy // THIS PRODUCT // see that // the package is // unbroken”; printed on box seals: “GENUINE IF SEAL IS WHOLE // ALBERT G. GROBLEWSKI & CO. // ZMIJECZNIK // PLYMOUTH, PA., U. S. A.”; printed at top of front page of instruction booklet: “Groblewski’s // DIRECTIONS FOR // LINIMENT (Rattlesnake Brand) // (The same good Liniment we have been making for over 50 years)”; headings printed in instruction booklet: “FOR MAKING AN EFFICIENT “CHILD’S // RUB” IN A NON-GREASY FORM”, “TO HELP KEEP AWAY MOSQUITOES”, “FOR THAT STIMULATING EFFECT OF AM- // MONIA WATER, CAMPHOR AND MENTHOL”, “FOR THAT COOLING EFFECT OF MENTHOL // ON THE BROW OR FORHEAD”, TO PROMOTE SWEATING OVER EN- // TIRE BODY”, “TO PROMOTE SWEATING IN SOME PAR- // TICULAR PART OF THE BODY”, “THERAPEUTIC LAMP TREATMENTS”; names of advertised products printed in instruction booklet: “BEAR BRAND SALVE”, “EGIUTERRO”, “GROBLEWSKI’S // LINDEN COUGH BALSOM”, “GROBLEWSKI’S COLICRAMP DROPS”, “GROBLEWSKI’S HEADACHE POWDERS”, “FIRE-DRAW BURN LOTION”, “GROBLEWSKI’S TROJANKA”, “CHILDREN LINIMENT”, “GROBLEWSKI’S PLASTER”, “GROBLEWSKI’S STOMACH DROPS”, “GROBLEWSKI’S // PREPERATION C”, “GROBLEWSKI’S CORN APPLICATION”, “NERVOTEINE”, “GROBLEWSKI’S TOOTHACHE DROPS”, “HEARTBURN DROPS”, “CHAPINE LOTION”, “PEDODOR SALVE”, “EATONIC”, “GARGLELICK”, “ITCHYOLA SALVE”, GROBLEWSKI’S // TONIC and APPETIZER”, “GROBLEWSKI’S // POWDERS FOR ROUND WORMS”, “EYE WATER”, “GROBLEWSKI’S REVILA POWDERS”, “REDOL SALVE”, “EXOR SALVE”, “GROBLEWSKI’S NASAL JELLY”, “BEAVER DROPS COMPOUND”, “GROBLEWSKI’S // SOAP FOR HAIR AND SCALP”, “GROBLEWSKI’S LAPINOL SOAP”, “GROBLEWSKI’S HAIR POMADE”
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
(a-b) 0010-A5-6 Box 4 Row B
(c) 0010-G Assorted Binder E pg 15 a
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Condition Remarks
Minor soiling to top of bottle label; major staining on bottom half of box; minor soiling all over box; major tear to top flap of box causing complete separation; major tear to proper right flap of box causing complete separation; minor distortion to instructional booklet, but stable; minor dark staining to bottom of instruction booklet pages; minor pink pigment transfer on bottom of instruction booklet pages
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Website (document)
Website
Reference Comments
“A. G. Groblewski Dies at Plymouth.” The Wilkes-Barre Record, 18 April 1925, Newspapers.com, 2019. Accessed 26 July 2019.
“1917 Groblewski's Remedies Quack Medicine Plymouth PA.” Worthpoint, 2019. Accessed 26 July 2019.
Research Facts
Albert G. Groblewski was a patent medicine salesman and manufacturer most famous for his Groblewski Liniment Rattlesnake Brand (Zmijecznik); he was born in Poland in 1861 and moved to the U. S. A. in 1877; he bought his own drug store in 1892 and began manufacturing his famous liniment; it was originally marketed as a cure for rheumatism but this iteration of the product is marketed as a treatment for muscle soreness, aches, small wounds, and insect bites; the company became known as Albert G. Groblewski & Co. Inc. following incorporation in 1921; Groblewski passed away in 1925, but his company continued to grow following his death.