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Thread Owner
Bottle Vitals
| Date | Color | Shape | Size (Height x Width x Depth) | Value* | |
| Dr. J Hostetter's Stomach Bitters | 1880s | Brown | Tall Square | 9" x 2.75" x 2.75" | $25.00 |
Bottle Views (click to enlarge):
| Front | Back | Side | Side | Bottom |
 |  |  |  |  |
| Dr J Hostetter's Stomach Bitters | 63 IG Co L |
Dr J Hostetter's Celebrated Stomach Bitters was a highly popular and successful patent medicine that started being widely sold in 1853. It was originally developed by Dr Jacob Hostetter, but he only gave it to his own patents. It was his son David Hostetter that would turn it into a multimillion dollar business, with his father's blessing when he retired from practicing medicine. The business rapidly expanded and by the late 1850's they occupied a very large facility and shipped the tonic all over the world by ship and rail.
The bitters were made from vegetable bitters (cinchona, gentian, etc) and aromatic oils in a base of alcohol. Lots of alcohol. The original formula was 49% alcohol, making it 94 proof, and earning it a space on the shelves of saloons and hotel bars. It was purported to cure "weakness" and whatever else ailed you.
In fact it was such good stuff that it would make life worth living and bring peace on Earth!
And of course because of its success, it had many competitors, copiers, and counterfeiters.
This particular bottle bears the bottom mark "63" and" IG Co L", which means that it was produced in mold number 63 at the Ihmsem Glass Company between 1878 and 1900, and based on other bottles found with it, this one was likely from the 1880s.
Cleaning was just soap and water and brushes. Here's the before and after.
* Value is based on sold eBay listing at the time of posting, and varies with condition.
