# Gun Wa's Chinese Remedy



## Potlidboy (Jan 31, 2013)

A good friend from Colorado dropped by last night...He brought with him good cheer & a full page newspaper advertisement featuring Gun Wa's Chinese Remedy.  It had been printed by 'the Denver Republican (newspaper) : Sunday Morning June' 1889'.

 The newspaper  is yellowed with time, missing a little of the paper itself & yet boasts the claims of an Irish charlatan posing as a Chinese doctor ...Gun Wa. 

 It so happens, I picked up a Gun Wa's Chinese Remedy bottle a million years ago.....a beautiful bottle at a good price, so I was very interested in the article my friend brought.

 The newspaper has a large picture center stage of Gun Wa sitting on a throne holding a fan.  A list of benefits of his Chinese Remedy frame his picture claiming to make Weak Men Strong...Lost Manhood Restored...Results of Youthful Folly Cured as well as curing Rheumatism, Catarrh, Deafness, Female Weakness, Cancer, Tumors, Scrofula, Tape Worms, All skin diseases, Asthma, Paralysis, Malaria, Dyspepsia, Fits, Piles, Heart Disease, Bronchitis.

 He also informs the reader he will pay a $5000.00 reward for proof of anyone of the thousands of testimonials of cures are not genuine (as far as he knows)....a nice little disclaimer at the end. The rest of the newspaper is filled with testimonials of the wonderful effects of his Chinese remedy. 

 This Gun Wa's Chinese Remedy bottle is 8 Â¼ inches tall, a beautiful yellow with numerous bubbles throughout. It is extremely crude and yet beautiful ~  wabi sabi.  The front is embossed :Gun Wa's Chinese Remedy...The back of the bottle is embossed : Warranted  entirely vegetable and harmless. The bottle has a smooth base and a stove pipe top ~ an excellent Western square.


 This DENVER COLORADO medicine was in business from 1888 to 1894.  William Hale immigrated from Ireland in 1888 to open the GUN WA HERB AND REMEDY CO at 1629 Larimer St.  Hale expanded his business and relocated to the Croff and Collins building at 1646-1650 Larimer.  He was later indicted for mail fraud and the mailing of pornographic materials.  He fled to England to avoid prosecution.   (thank you Peach Ridge for the article)


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## Potlidboy (Jan 31, 2013)

picture two


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## Potlidboy (Jan 31, 2013)

picture three


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## Potlidboy (Jan 31, 2013)

picture four


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## Dansalata (Jan 31, 2013)

those are great bottles fpor sure...i recall a article in a.b.g.c. about a old fellow who had a amazing collection of those...cant find it right now..i have too much stuff,like a lot of us lol..great bottle!!!


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## botlguy (Jan 31, 2013)

That is one of those bottles that somehow become bigger than life. There seems to be a mystique about them that draws people and big bucks. Back in the 60s and 70s, that's the 1900s years, collectors would practically wrestle for them. I like them but could never quite figure out why they were so desired.


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## Potlidboy (Feb 1, 2013)

botlguy    I found the newspaper article as interesting as the bottle...imagine having the results of youthful folley cured....and a Irishman masquerading as a Chinese doctor in Colorado....You can't make this stuff up....well I guess you can, but the truth is more interesting. []


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## Potlidboy (Feb 1, 2013)

Dansalata


 I would love to see a color run of Gun Wa's...I know they come in apricot, green , amber & all shades of yellow. They are a sweet little bottle.


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## sandchip (Feb 1, 2013)

Yeah buddy, nice bottle!


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## JOETHECROW (Feb 1, 2013)

Cool bottles....I always thought I might like to have one for my med. collection, but every time I start watching one on e bay,...they go pretty high..[8|]


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## midwestdigger (Feb 1, 2013)

There is a dose glass that was sold with the bottle, looks like a druggist dose glass.  I've had a couple of them but they seem harder to find than the bottles.  Very pretty bottle though.


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## Huntindog (Feb 1, 2013)

Great Bottle, love the color...
 That ad is too cool.
 If it weren't for ads like that we would never know about their claims....
 Imagine curing all those illnesses.
 At times I wish I had some of that to cure some of my ailments.
 "Youthful folley cured"  LOL


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## justanolddigger (Feb 1, 2013)

Neat information & cool story, thanks for sharing this. I dug two of these in Traverse City Michigan in the 1990's, they sure seem to have gotten around. Gave them up in a trade before I knew what they were, live & learn...Bill


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## rockbot (Feb 2, 2013)

Great info on a beautiful bottle. Thanks for sharing it.


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