Kermes de Clusel - Antimony Sulfide
Antique pharmacy bottle made of blown glass and enameled painted label.
Red TOXIC label
Signaling to the pharmacist that it is imperative to keep apart the other substances in the cabinet of toxic substances, the famous poison cabinet.
Dating: 19th century
EMPTY
Description
Kermes de Clusel - Antimony Sulfide
Antique pharmacy bottle made of blown glass and enameled painted label.
Red TOXIC label
Signaling to the pharmacist that it is imperative to keep apart the other substances in the cabinet of toxic substances, the famous poison cabinet.
Laboratory or pharmaceutical dispensary bottle, typical of the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.
Made of blown transparent glass, it has a trace of pontil visible on the bottom, reflecting traditional artisanal manufacturing. It has its original cap honed with emery BUT the bottle is blocked and does not open, sealed by time.
Beautiful enamelled label stenciled surrounded by a brown/red border. This baked enamel technique guaranteed great resistance to handling and chemicals in the pharmacy. A red regulatory label marked "TOXIQUE" is applied at the bottom, indicating the poisonous nature of the substance.
It retains its original fine brown-red powder inside.
Kermes mineral, perfected in the 19th century by pharmacists like Clusel, was an antimony-based preparation, a heavy metal widely used in traditional pharmacopeia.
Prescribed in low doses as a sudorific and expectorant to treat severe pulmonary conditions and fevers, it worked through violent purges and evacuations.
Due to the high toxicity of antimony, an overdose caused severe gastric irritation, uncontrollable vomiting, and serious heart failure.
Height of the bottle: 12cm with blown glass cap - Diameter at the base: 4cm
Dating: 19th century
EMPTY
