# What Was In It?



## lizard

Greetings, I have a McCormick tri-corner cobalt blue poison bottle embossed with the bee brand logo, McCormick, and dated 1902.  My question is; does anyone know what was sold in one of these bottles during the time they were in use?


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## blobbottlebob

I just wanted to welcome you Lizard. Welcome. Cool little bottle. I know nothing about it but someone will.


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## lizard

Thanks BBBob, I am still getting acquainted with the site.  [align=left]  [/align]


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## Poison_Us

You have a KT-14.  This is the latest of the 3 variations being the screw top issue.  The 2 prior were cork tops.  Anyway, it seems to be in excellent condition...worth $25 - $40 depending on the day/buyer.  I have no idea what came in them as I have never came across one with a label.


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## lizard

Thanks for the information, I have an email request in to McCormick for information about what they used to sell in them.  Maybe they will reply before i checkout =0)  If I find out anything useful I will pass it along.
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## swizzle

Hey Lizard, good to see that you made it. $25 to $40, I'd say get some tools and dig the crap outta that dump. If it was a specific med for say heart problems or something like that then the person who took that medicine may have went through several bottles a year. Worth a dig for sure. Swiz


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## lizard

Yep itâ€™s definitely worth a second look.  Only thing is that itâ€™s not a pleasant spot to dig.  If you look close, the indention about center top filled with leaves is the hole it came out of last summer.  With all the under brush it gets really hot in there.  But dig we will.  [align=left]  [/align]


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## lizard

Oops .... that turned out a little..... large?  do better next time.
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## surfaceone

Hello Rick,

 Welcome to the forums and thanks for bringing this little laudanum bottle with you.

 I wuz gonna say, "Can't be a poison, McCormick Co. was and are spice merchants. What'ya think poison Bacon bitz?" Stephen/ Poison_Us recognized it as a KT-14, so I'm scratching my head. Further lookin around was called for...

 Here's a History of McCormick Co. via Digger Odell.






 "I have found a triangular shaped bottle that is purple/blue in color with a picture of a Bee impressed on the front of it and McCormick 1902 stamped on the bottom. I can find no one who can tell me anything about this bottle such as its history or value. I would greatly welcome any information you may have on it. Thank You, Tony Compton 

You did not mention your bottle had a screw top mouth but I believe it probably does.  The later bottle of this style has the "Patented / July 8th 1902" in place of "Patent Applied For" as shown in the picture at the right.  The bottle is common, less so with the 'patent applied for'  embossing.  The bottle is sometimes referred to as the "bee poison" and is considered a poison bottle by most collectors.  The screw top variant would be worth $3-5." From Digger Odell, Oct. 1999.

 "The KT-14 is 
 the well-known and popular McCormick 
 & Company Bee Brand Bottle, a cobalt 
 bottle embossed with a bee that exists in 
 both cork-top and screw-top versions. 
 There also are two different embossings, 
 one with â€œPatent Applied Forâ€ and the other 
 with â€œPatented July 8th 1902â€ which reflects 
 the approximate age of the bottle.  A turn- 
 of-the-century magazine advertisement for 
 the KT-14 shows a cork-topped bottle and 
 reveals that the product being sold was 
 laudanum (a solution of opium in alcohol). 
 The ad notes that the bottleâ€™s cobalt color 
 and triangular shape â€œeliminates all danger 
 of getting hold of the wrong bottle.â€  Again, 
 the goal was to warn of danger by bottle 
 color and shape, not by difficult-to-open 
 tops." From Poison Land by Mike Dickman.

 Does the word "Poison" or "Poisonous" appear anywhere on your bottle? I don't think so, but am asking cuz I don't know. I'm gonna go reread the label on those Bacon Bitz.


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## lizard

Thought it strange also that McCormick sold a poison.  But at least I now know what was once in my little bottle and I thank you.  Be ware bacon bitz made in foreign lands.  [align=left]  [/align]


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## Poison_Us

We had to revisit this for an update to all those still having questions regarding this bottle.  Just got off the phone with our go-to expert (Thank you Jerry, always a pleasure talking with you)

 As noted above, the article from Mike Dickman back in '06 regarding this bottle, contained laudanum.  The shape of the bottle was a warning of not that it was a poison, but to use caution as there is potential overdose from the product.  The same goes for the KH-26/27 I have mentioned before in a previous post about those 2 bottles (though they contained a laxative)

 Now, Jerry has 2 of these bottles with labels.  These note not laudanum, but Quinine Sulfate, a treatment for Malaria. Again, the shape was of a warning that there is a potential of an overdose if not taken correctly.  It was not a poison.

 Still, a nice bottle regardless and will still be referred to many as the KT-14.  There is a larger size of this bottle as well and are very hard to find.


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## glass man

NICE INFO STEPHEN!! NEVER SAW A LARGE SIZE...THAT WOULD BE COOL... POST ONE IF YOU EVER COME ACROSS ONE...I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THE EMBOSSING ON THESE BOTTLES...JAMIE


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## Poison_Us

I will if I find one...but yesterday was the first I have heard of them and Jerry is the only one I now know to have one.  Joan (our editor) had one, but recently broke it, so now she is on the hunt for a replacement as well.


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## lizard

Thanks for the update Poison Us.
  Rick


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## Ryan Schnitzer

very nice


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## namzug2

I enjoy this talkI learn a lot and absorb the knowlege. I mature much faster. as well as those around me. Thankyou thankyou thankyou


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## namzug2

Sorry got  excited. Isn't laudenum a painkiller?


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## cowseatmaize

Just from memory I think it's an opiate. Yes it would kill pain and more.


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## #1twin

I once dug 16 of those little jewels in the same spot. Some of them are a deep dark purpleish color which I would assume makes them more valuable and desireable to collectors. They were all corkers, in the same small size as the one here. I have only seen the larger size in a bottle show in Metarie, La. I think mine all say Patent Applied for and none have poison on them.  Hope this helps,  Marvin


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