# Swaim's Vermifuge



## Road Dog (Jul 24, 2005)

Here is a neat bottle. A Swaim's Vermifuge Dysentery CholeraMorbus Dyspepsia. Has an Open Pontil. Advertised from 1832-1852 as a remedy for all diseases arising from debility of the digestive organs, worms, cholera morbus, dysentery, fever & ague.


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## Road Dog (Jul 24, 2005)

Here is the backside.


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## rpinkham (Mar 27, 2013)

Trying to date this little guy and not having much luck.  Any thoughts would be great! Thanks.


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## rpinkham (Mar 27, 2013)

1


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## rpinkham (Mar 27, 2013)

2


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## rpinkham (Mar 27, 2013)

My question is, what came first? Rolled or flared lip....


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## Road Dog (Mar 27, 2013)

I always put flared lip earlier than inward rolled lips. There could have been some overlap though. Flared came first though.


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## Steve/sewell (Mar 27, 2013)

Morning Ray, Nice looking bottle looks 1830s to me,Rory is right as a general rule on early medicines as the flared finish was the choice used in the mid to late 1700s right up until the 1830s. On this forum a while back I posted a little history of Swaims early bottles Here you go ........

 I have new evidence that puts Swaims Panacea  right there with Lees from Baltimore  
 and New York City and Dr. Dyotts Family Medicines from Philadelphia in the 1810 to 1820 time frame. 
 This was exciting for me to stumble across as it puts Swaims 10 years earlier in Philadelphia then  
 previously thought.I have in my possession a newspaper ad from June 21st in the year 1811 from Philadelphia 
 The Democratic Press.In this newspaper on page 4 is the ad placed by William Swaim with his product  
 being available for purchase at Marshals Drug and Chemical Store 56 Chestnut Street Philadelphia. 

 I picked up this bottle this past year and I am very pleased at how it cleaned up considering  
 the condition it was found in. This variant of the bottle is the oldest between 1824 and 1825. 
 The color is very pale green,it has lots of whittle and has a very crude uneven folded lip. 
 The bottle has a deep rough pontil and looks to be made similar to the Booz bottle 
 with the diagonal vertical mold seem running catty corner on two sides. 
 If I were to guess the time and place of this bottles manufacture only four glass houses were  
 operating located conventiently to Philadelphia in the early 1800s.  
 They were Glassboro,Clementon or Port Elizabeth all in Southern New Jersey 
 and the old glass works in Kensington just north of Philadelphia. 
 The color of the bottle is dead on with other glass attributed to these glass houses. 

 This particular bottle is the first mold and is shaped somewhat like a tombstone.   
 There are two variants I am aware of  Swaims first bottles.The first is rectangular in shape 
 and is curved at the top on all sides like a tomb stone.The second mold which came out  
 a couple of years later looked nearly identical to the first but was straight across at the shoulders of 
 the bottle.All other parts of the bottle including the embossing are nearly the same but the  
 apostrophe in SWAIM'S is smaller on the first version.In 1829 Swaim switched to the cylinder shaped  
 bottle to protect his product from piracy. 

 Here is a brief history of Swaims beginnings. 

 When a New York City bookbinder named William Swaim was afflicted with some illness,he 
 consulted a physician who prescribed a remedy that restored Swaims health. 
 Swaim attained the formula and moved to Philadelphia to launch a career as a patent 
 medicine vendor.His concoction that was first marketed in 1820 was called Swaims Panacea 
 for the cure of scrofula or the Kings evil and Swaim chose the symbol of Hercules slaying the  
 many headed dragon to advertise his panacea that lived on for more then a century.By 1825 
 Swaim was packaging his panacea in rectangular shaped green and aqua colored glass bottles 
 lettered on three sides Genuine, Swaims Panacea,Philadelphia.In 1829 he switched the bottle  
 to a green cylindrical shaped lettered Swaims ,Panacea ,Philadelphia on three separate vertically  
 indented sides.


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## Steve/sewell (Mar 27, 2013)

2


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## Steve/sewell (Mar 27, 2013)

3 This is Swaims first bottle it has a very early traditional German gaffer formed Wistar type rolled lip which points to Southern New Jersey as a place of manufacture due to the German influence in all of the factory's listed above which were in operation at the time


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## Steve/sewell (Mar 27, 2013)

2 Although this is considered a rolled lip as when the bottle is finished the neck is rolled down from a straight neck it was the choice on bottles at Wistars and Stangers Glassboro's glass factory from the early colonial glass works in New Jersey.The flared lip seen on your bottle was used at the same time period but had more of an English influence on its manufacture. The Germans were good copy cats also as they had to make bottles which seemed English to the General public for these medicine products in order for the product to be sold on them.


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## Steve/sewell (Mar 27, 2013)

4 One of the neatest looking bases you will ever come across on an old American made bottle from the 18 teens through the twenty's.


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## Steve/sewell (Mar 27, 2013)

5


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## Steve/sewell (Mar 27, 2013)

6 from Jeff Noordys site same the same mold.


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## Steve/sewell (Mar 27, 2013)

Nice bottle Ray,I have one like yours packed away in the attic right now. I will be getting to it shortly as I am in the process of cataloging my entire collection when I come across it Ill post it here. Later as I am late for for my first job[8D]


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## rpinkham (Mar 27, 2013)

HI Steve, and Road Dog

 Thanks for taking the time to reply!  I had checked out this previous post and the interesting discussion between you and Joe.  Incidentally, what very nice glass you both have!

 Ray


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 27, 2013)

Interesting category people, I say yes to all the above.
 Next question is what came first panacea or vermifuge?
 [8|][8|]
 Also "mercurial disease" Steve. At the time it cure itself of what it maybe caused by it's content, that's handy? [][][]


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## rpinkham (Mar 27, 2013)

The color of the glass and shape of the lip remind me of some of the early dyottville glasswork examples i've encountered.  Maybe these different variants were made in different cities?


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## Ratzilla (Mar 27, 2013)

Not sure if the Vermifuge or Panacea is older, my guess is they both came out around the same time.  There is a very early version of the vermifuge that is rectangular, sort of like the early panacea but smaller, with a solid rod pontil, circa 1820 or earlier.  I'm guessing the oval ones were first made around 1830, and they continued right up through the smooth base era.  The flared lip is earliest, then rolled lip, then ring collar, although there was probably some production overlap in the styles.  Nice bottles!


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## Road Dog (Mar 29, 2013)

Earliest ads I can find for Swaims Vermifuge is 1832. Of course, The Swaims Panacea is 1820.


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## southern Maine diver (Mar 29, 2013)

Hey Rory...

 Great subject... the "Swaim's"  and Steve, as always, thanks for the great information... you continue to amaze me!

 One of my best bottles, found underwater here in Maine, was the pontiled "Swaim's Panacea" I found several years ago. It is most definitely one of my top three favorites!!! I found it along with several other bottles that I dug up in the same general area.  Take a look...


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## southern Maine diver (Mar 29, 2013)

Here is the Swaim's... prior to cleaning


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## southern Maine diver (Mar 29, 2013)

Another shot...  (sorry for the big photos)


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## southern Maine diver (Mar 29, 2013)

And one more...


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## sandchip (Mar 29, 2013)

That's a killer with all those barnacles!

 Killer cleaned too!

 From what I can see, it looks like it's got a better pontil than most too.


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## southern Maine diver (Mar 29, 2013)

I was torn between having it tumbled and leaving it barnacle covered... but in the end, I'm happy that it was cleaned because it is such a great looking bottle. [][]  

 I love it!  You should see the bottom... fantastic[8D][8D][8D]

 Wayne[&:]


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## Road Dog (Mar 30, 2013)

Nice bottle Wayne. I had one of those years ago I sold. Wish I had it back.


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## Sodasandbeers (Apr 2, 2013)

Wayne, what is the blue Soda?


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## southern Maine diver (Apr 3, 2013)

Hey Todd...

 To tell you the truth,  I can't remember... I know it was from Philla though.  I sold it for $200.00 about five years ago.  I'll have to check back in my records.

 All those bottles were found in one general location.  I was in heaven!  I still have the Swaims, the snuff, the ink and the odd looking clay bottle.

 Wayne


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## Road Dog (Apr 3, 2013)

looks like a John Ryan Excelsior Union Glass Works Philada


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