What is actually in "opium" vials

[Hezezilla]

I've seen for a long while people calling the contents of these small, thick glass vials "opium". I've also known for a while that more often than not, the contents contained other medicines and tinctures. I've had a few of these before but this is the first that has the ingredients list in English.

It's not opium but Snake Oil! Every vial probably did not contain snake oil but I believe this is representative of the sort of medicine these vials contained.

 

[Semar]

Love the bubbles in the glass.

 

[Old man digger]

View attachment 257771
I've seen for a long while people calling the contents of these small, thick glass vials "opium". I've also known for a while that more often than not, the contents contained other medicines and tinctures. I've had a few of these before but this is the first that has the ingredients list in English.
View attachment 257772
It's not opium but Snake Oil! Every vial probably did not contain snake oil but I believe this is representative of the sort of medicine these vials contained.
View attachment 257773

 

[Old man digger]

I have no idea that the bottle you have there is an opium bottle or not. The ones I dug while in Panama were all SHEAR TOP bottles. During the construction of the Panama Canal, many Chinese laborers were employed there. The story is that each worker was given an opium ration as part of their wages. I believe this to be true. I found about 100 of these bottles while digging. At first I didn't know what they were. I went to the Pan Canal museum in Balboa and that's when I found out what they were. As they had a display there showing the exact bottle I had and called it an opium ration for the Chinese workers. I was very happy with my find until I took it into an air conditioned house, where it shattered into many pieces. I thought it a fluke, and brought home others with the exact same result. So when ever I found any more of them I just let them stay in the hole. They were a light blue in color about 2 1/2 inches long with a shape like a case gin bottle and thicker at the bottom with the afore mentioned shear top. Good luck with your bottle, now the research begins. Hope your does not shatter like mine did.

 

[Hezezilla]

I have no idea what the bottle you have there is an opium bottle or not. The ones I dug while in Panama were all SHEAR TOP bottles. During the construction of the Panama Canal, many Chinese laborers were employed there. The story is that each worker was given an opium ration as part of their wages. I believe this to be true. I found about 100 of these bottles while digging. At first I didn't know what they were. I went to the Pan Canal museum in Balboa and that's when I found out what they were. As they had a display there showing the exact bottle I had and called it an opium ration for the Chinese workers. I was very happy with my find until I took it into an air conditioned house, where it shattered into many pieces. I thought it a fluke, and brought home others with the exact same result. So when ever I found any more of them I just let them stay in the hole. They were a light blue in color about 2 1/2 inches long with a shape like a case gin bottle and thicker at the bottom with the afore mentioned shear top. Good luck with your bottle, now the research begins. Hope your does shatter like mine did.

Wow, super interesting. Sad to here your bottles broke. Common sentiment at the time held that "all Chinese were opium smokers". That and the tough labor must have made opium an appealing remedy for the workers. I have seen quite a few of these bottles with original contents now and all of them had what looks like coca cola inside. I dont think the thick tar opium was put inside these but maybe a liquid medicinal tincture with Opium in it.

I've never dug these bottles but I've been given a good few of them.

 

[Old man digger]

Wow, super interesting. Sad to here your bottles broke. Common sentiment at the time held that "all Chinese were opium smokers". That and the tough labor must have made opium an appealing remedy for the workers. I have seen quite a few of these bottles with original contents now and all of them had what looks like coca cola inside. I dont think the thick tar opium was put inside these but maybe a liquid medicinal tincture with Opium in it.

I've never dug these bottles but I've been given a good few of them.
View attachment 257778

Of the five bottles you show there. The type that I found looked like the one in the very center and the one all the way to the right is a toss-up
to the middle bottle. It has been many years since I was in Panama but I'd say those five bottles fit my memory very well!!!