# Asthma Cure Tin



## markh (Dec 11, 2010)

I just bought this cool labeled tin "Guild's Green Mountain Asthma Cure". It has nearly complete labels on all six sides and has a screw cap, so it could be considered a "bottle", although it's not glass. I collect embossed cures, so this is a nice go-with.

 I did a little research on Dr. J.H. Guild of Rupert Vt. He was a successful doctor/businessman.
 Here is some info on his life:

 Born Pawlet, 1826. About the year 1842, he was a clerk for the firm of Bates & Safford, this town. He remained here for several years, clerking, teaching school and working on farms in the haying season. He taught the Rupert Street and the Mountain schools, and perhaps others. At the age of twenty he began clerking for Proudfit & Fitch, Salem. A little later, this firm was succeeded by the firm of King & Guild, continuing three years. In 1850 he settled in Sandusky, O., as a cabinet worker, and in 1852 became a proprietor in the firm of 'Rogers & Guild. During his residence here occurred the epidemic of Asiatic cholera, his partner being a victim. Mr. Guild remained throughout, and, as a city official, had a prominent part in the management of affairs. His cabinet works having been destroyed by fire, he closed out his business and left Sandusky. For several years, from 1857, Mr. Guild resided mostly in Baltimore and New York. In the latter city he studied medicine, graduated from the New York Medical College in 1861, with the highest honors of the class. Settled in Rupert in the practice of his profession, and so continued until 1869. In the diphtheria epidemic of 1861-2, Dr. Guild was remarkably successful. In 1869 he began the manufacture of the Green Mountain Asthma Cure, which from a small beginning, grew to be a large and prosperous business, and is continued by his successors. He was prominent in politics ; representing the town in the Legislatures of 1872 and 1874, and a State Senator in 1876. Dr. Guild was twice married. His first wife was Jane, daughter of Judge Burton. She died in 1859. Her children were Ella, now Mrs. M. F. Roberts, and Jennie, who died in infancy. His second wife was Alta, daughter of Almon Nelson, whom he married in 1867. Her children were Cora, of Mechanicsville, N. Y. ; Millie (Mrs. Will Thompson), and Harley of this town. 
 His residence, built by him in 1873, stands on the lot between the Weed place and Esq. David Sheldon's, and is now occupied by his son. His religious faith was of the Methodist Episcopal, and in 1884 he built and furnished the present church edifice. Dr. Guild was a man of more than average ability, active and energetic in the prosecution of his plans. He died, March, 1894. In 1877, Middlebury College conferred upon him the honorary degree of A. M. 

 There is still a J.H. Guild Co in existance in Rupert Vt which makes Pharmaceutical Preparations.

 The tin has the original contents which were intended to be burned and inhaled. The top to the tin has an oval ring to burn the powder and there is  a poker to stir it up. The powder still smells ok, though don't think I'd want to smoke it based on what it's made of (see following posts). 

 The instructions say to: 

 "take about one teaspoonful of the powder, put it in the oval ring in the cover of the box and ignite it with a match or coal. The screw top to the package will hold just the proper quantity for a dose. The room should be close, and, if the patient can endure it, a towel or blanket thrown over the head and shoulders of the patient, so as to confine the smoke and cause the patient to breath as much as possible. Hold the burning powder beneath the nostrils, close the eyes, and inhale the smoke in long, deep inspirations..."

 Hey, sounds like what we used to do at Grateful Dead shows. Guess they didn't know about bongs back then!

 He also sold a "Guilds  Green Mountain Kidney Cure". I've never seen or heard of one, does anyone know if it exists?

 There were many different kinds of proprietary medicines that were meant to be inhaled or smoked and there is even a web site on these inhalable "medicines" from the past:

 http://www.inhalatorium.com/index.html

 Mark


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## markh (Dec 11, 2010)

Here's the bottom label - a deer and the granite cliffs of the Green Mountains. On the right is a pic of a newer label with "Asthmatic Compound". I guess this is after 1906.

 I was quite suprised to find that there is embossing under this label - Dr. J. H. Guilds Green Mountain Asthma Cure Rupert Vt. It's hard to see in the photo, but enough shows through to be able to read it. I bet there's not many embossed cure tin "bottles", although I do a have another which I'll show in another post.


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## markh (Dec 11, 2010)

I found this regarding the contents. Stramonium leaves..., wonder what that did for your asthma?

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium

 Although stramonium was used in many medicines in the 1800's:

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2844275/


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## markh (Dec 11, 2010)

Finally, here's a picture of Dr. Guild. Originally the Asthma cure was packaged in wooden boxes.

 It's amazing what you can find out on the internet!!


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## edndlm (Dec 11, 2010)

Mark ... Thanks for all the research & information on The Cure tin ! I bought one of these about 16 years ago because I thought it was really cool go-with ! I'm glad this one went to a Cure Collector ! Ed


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## saratogadriver (Dec 11, 2010)

Not that I've ever seen...

 Jim G






> ORIGINAL:  markh
> 
> 
> He also sold a "Guilds  Green Mountain Kidney Cure". I've never seen or heard of one, does anyone know if it exists?
> ...


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## surfaceone (Dec 11, 2010)

Hello markh,

 Great piece, good photos & excellent researching. Thanks for posting this.


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