Record

Ref NoOBJ/OBJ/3/5/9
TitleLaudanum medicine bottle
Date19th century
TermArtefact
FormatArtefact
Description Of ItemThis bottle contains a dark brown liquid.

Probably one of the most well-known medicinal substances of the 18th and 19th centuries, laudanum was largely composed of opium and alcohol. It was commonly used as a sedative but was also prescribed as an anti-diarrheal medicine. Due to the opium content, it was a highly addictive substance.

The Pharmacy Act of 1868 required opium to be listed as a poison and had to be acquired from a certified druggist.
Extent1 item
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