tiny one dose medicine bottle "sultan drug co"

[Goes4ever]

got this bottle today I won in the FOTM contest from another forum, and this baby is wicked cool, I could not believe just how tiny it really is. I took a pic of it beside a quarter for size reference............the guy who donated this bottle for the prize said it came from the chips flat and alleghany gold mine in california, it was dug from the china town section of the camp at the depth of 6ft.

He said it was rare for miners to have a personal sized medicine bottle and even more rare for a chinese laborer to own one. But this area has been continuously mined right up to some small claims that are still producing to this very day. He talked to several people who specilize in gold rush items and only one had ever seen a bottle like this come out of a camp dig. So it is a fairly cool piece of gold rush history! Bottle says Sultan Drug Co St Louis

[diggummup]

1890's to early 1900's bottle. All references for the Sultan drug company seem to lead to something called "cactina pellets". So I would guess that is what was in your bottle. I saw a few for sale, must be pretty common because they are all under 5 bucks. Here is some info on cactina pellets-
Cactina is the active proximate principle of Cereus Grandiflora Mexicana. As a heart tonic, Cactina has proven to be of immense value in the treatment of those diseases in which the action of the heart and the circulation are of vital importance. It has no cumulative action and is agreeable to the stomach in all conditions. It is indicated in abnormal heart action, such as tachycardia, palpitation, irregularity, feebleness ; for the cardiac weakness and nervousness caused by the excessive use of tobacco, tea, coffee or alcohol; to support the heart in the treatment of febrile and chronic diseases, and to sustain foetal circulation during gestation. It is frequently employed advantageously to prevent cardiac depression when administering anti-pyretics, anodynes and hypnotics.

Cactina, or any of the preparations of Cereus, is best given with Capsicum as the two together form the best treatment in any heart trouble that is possible to get. The genuine Cactina pellet is made by the Sultan Drug Co., St. Louis, Mo., U. S. A.

That is a cool looking little bottle though.

[Mackaydon]

This site
http://books.google.com/books?id=8Ih...esult&resnum=5
makes reference to a book written wherein the Sultan Drug Co started 15 years before this book was published in 1906; ergo, about 1891 was when this company started.

[Goes4ever]

thanks for the info guys!

[allen]

cool little prize !