# Cobalt Castor Oil Allen & Hanburys



## jays emporium (Aug 25, 2011)

Here is a cobalt blue bottle I found with the New Orleans collection I bought recently.  I had it stored in a box of Bromos and didn't find it again until now when I was looking for my backward Z Bromo.  This is embossed ALLEN & HANBURY'S CASTOR OIL.  The bottle is round, BIM and only 3 1/2" tall.  It was dug in New Orleans but could be from anywhere.  Any information on where it might be from and scarcity?


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## jays emporium (Aug 25, 2011)

Here is a pic of the top.


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## jays emporium (Aug 25, 2011)

and the bottom.
 Thanks.


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## SAbottles (Aug 25, 2011)

Very much a British bottle, Jay. We dig them out here together with the more traditional long neck cobalts. Sometimes they have "Allen & Hanbury's Tasteless Castor Oil" which I am sure was a damned lie & probably actionable under the truth-in-advertising laws !
 Late 1890s ~ TOC.


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## SAbottles (Aug 25, 2011)

Here's a typical small one :


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## surfaceone (Aug 25, 2011)

Hello Jay,

 It's British. There's one on e-bay UK now.  Here's one that recently sold.






 "ALLEN & HANBURYS CASTOR OIL

   ALLEN & HANBURYS PERFECTED COD   LIVER OIL
   British" Thanks to Matt.






 "Bottling castor oil. Coloured historical artwork of a factory worker moving bottles during the semi-automated process of filling them with castor oil. It was claimed that this castor oil was tasteless. Castor oil was used as a laxative by the Victorians. This is Allen and Hanbury's Pharmacy in Bethnal Green, London, England. Artwork from The English Illustrated Magazine (1892-93)." From.




From.


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## SAbottles (Aug 25, 2011)

About 8.5cm high (3.5 in ~ old language!) I notice there isn't an apostrophe, so firm must have been Allen & Hanburys (or they weren't good at grammar!)


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## SAbottles (Aug 25, 2011)

The firm was founded in 1715 and William Allen joined in 1792. Daniel Hanbury was also a partner. Some of their products were marketed as "Allenburys". Still not sure why it doesn't have an apostrophe though ?


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## SAbottles (Aug 25, 2011)

Lovely picture that, Surface. I take it the lady in the background was hammering corks into the bottles !


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## SAbottles (Aug 25, 2011)

Good grief, that "superb" seller certainly was hooked on the word "superb" [:'(][:'(]
 Wow!! $23 !!! The last one I sold went for R40, which is less than $5 [][].  I'm not reaching the right market, may have to consider "Flea-bay", but I hear so many negative comments about it on A-B.net.


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## surfaceone (Aug 25, 2011)

Hey Dale,

 Looks like we were both posting at near the same time.

 "OLEUM RICINI INSIPIDUM.

 OUR attention has been drawn to this preparation, recently introduced
 by Messrs. Allen and Hanburys; we have had the opportunity of ex-
 amining and testing it clinicaly. Although absolutely pure castor-oil,
 it is so prepared as to be entirely devoid of smell, and to have none of
 the disagreeable flavour which characterise the ordinary varieties of
 this oil. Being free from the nauseating character, which has so long
 formed an objection to the habitual use. of castor-oil, this castor-oil of
 Allen and Hanburys does not leavea disagreeable aftertaste, nor give
 rise to the frequently experienced sensation of sickness, common to the
 use of the old-fashioned oil. It possesses very full aperient properties
 of the most active samples of oleum ricini insipidum, and is thus likely
 to be a very successful candidate for medical and popular favour." From The British Medical Journal, Jan. 28, 1882.


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## SAbottles (Aug 25, 2011)

Hi Surface
 Yes, it was a sort of "Duelling keyboards!"  (can you squeal like a hog !![])
 Hmmm, I'm still not convinced about "tasteless". Certainly the older folk who stop at my flea-market table and recognise the dreaded "blue bottle" don't wax lyrical about its pleasant taste [:'(][:'(].  If they were lucky, they got a glass of orange juice, but that didn't help much !
 Interesting that we also get ricin from the castor oil plant. Certainly a much more permanent cure for stomach problems !!


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## jays emporium (Aug 25, 2011)

Thanks for the replies.  You never know what bottles will turn up in New Orleans dumps.  There was a lot of French stuff too.
 I'll list the Castor Oil on ebay in a few weeks when I list the blue Bromo bottles and see how it does.  I have another backward Z small Bromo with no damage and a light blue one to sell.
 Jay


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