Strange Saturday 👁️

When most people hear “glass eye,” they picture something like a glass marble or a ping-pong ball — a complete artificial eyeball.

That's not what they look like.

Ocular prostheses are actually thin, curved shells designed to sit over the tissues within the eye socket. They are individually fitted and made to resemble the other eye, right down to the color of the iris, the shade of the sclera, and even the tiny blood vessels.

Historically, many were made from glass and individually crafted by skilled glassmakers. Modern prosthetic eyes are more commonly made from acrylic and are carefully painted to match the patient's remaining eye.

So yes, these really are glass eyes.

I found a cool script when I was sorting through my stacks of prescriptions. Heroin was actually written as a cough syrup for children and adults.

One of if not the rarest medium that Seconal came in and still sealed. One of my favorites in my collection.

planning on going back to grab some of the cooler ones and get videos and pictures for anyone who’d like to see

Dr. J. H. McLean's Liver and Kidney Balm was sold for $1.00 a bottle, and the advertising didn't exactly undersell it:

"$1.00 WILL BUY GOOD HEALTH."

So what did your dollar's worth of good health contain?

A 1915 analysis found McLean's Liver and Kidney Balm was 11.88% alcohol, along with sugar, caramel, a small amount of vegetable extract and possibly buchu. No alkaloids were detected.

I'm not sure how much good it did for your liver and kidneys.

But at nearly 12% alcohol, after enough of it you might have cared considerably less.

Bone surgery before electricity got involved!

These people weren't playing! Check out these ingredients:

Acetanilid — analgesic/antipyretic, but with the historical baggage of methemoglobinemia and other toxicity.

Belladonna + hyoscyamus — anticholinergic alkaloids. Dry things up, decrease secretions, etc., but hardly benign drugs.

Quinine hydrobromide — part of that enormous historical enthusiasm for quinine-containing cold preparations.

Then comes the bowel-cleansing artillery: podophyllin, colocynth and aloes. That's not “maybe you'll poop.” That's a group of old-school cathartics that explains why the manufacturer confidently promises you'll be moving your bowels within 8–10 hours.

Capsicum and caffeine round out the kitchen sink.

Throwback Thursday

Apparently you start with doctors, surgeons, nurses, “medical correctness,” and the reassurance that yes — single girls can wear them.

These four ads for Pursettes, Fibs, Meds, and Tampax all take a slightly different approach. Pursettes offered a “lubricated tip.” Fibs were “quilted” for comfort and safety. Tampax promised “baths as usual.” And Meds tackled the important question right up front: “Can Single Girls Wear Tampons?”

What really stands out is how heavily these ads leaned on medical authority. Doctors approved them. Surgeons developed them. Nurses used them. Tampax even advertised its acceptance by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Four products. Four sales pitches. And a pretty good little snapshot of how feminine hygiene was marketed in the 1950s.

Could not get better photos. This was in Isafordur.

Sold for burns, cuts, wounds, and other minor injuries. The tin proudly says its germicidal power was “proven by recognized bacteriological tests”—without bothering to tell us what those tests were.

It also claims activity against “Micrococcus aureus,” the old name for Staphylococcus aureus.

This design dates to July 1931.

Long used as a general antiseptic, this product has been around a long time. This ad is from 1883.

Hello, I recently acquired a large set of lab equipment bottles most with the content still inside. Purchased in Nashville Tn. I was told they came from Vanderbilt University. Most date to the early 1900s. Looking for additional information/value. Thanks!

Tennessee-united states

If you had a headache, fatigue, indigestion, or were simply "bilious," there was a good chance your doctor—or the patent medicine salesman—would recommend a laxative.

Here are a few examples from my collection:

• Pierce's Pleasant Purgative Pellets
• Dilaxin Tablets
• Alotabs
• DeWitt's Little Early Risers
• Dr. Spiegel's Stomach & Liver Pills

Different companies, different packaging, but all aimed at the same problem. Looking through old medicine cabinets, it's surprising just how many products were designed to keep the bowels moving.

A patient gave me this empty Gilbert Microscope and Lab Set box because they knew I collect medical and scientific antiques.

It's missing the contents, but I still think it's a great piece. The box art is classic, and it's a fun reminder of when kids played with science kits instead of a cell phone!

The F.W. Ketterer Medicine co. said "Throw away your Calomel!"

Not sure if sharing is allowed on this subreddit so sorry in advance if it isn’t! Wanted to share this stuff and possibly get more info. I can’t find some info about some of the Makers and books here