£400
WILSONS PATENT DROPPING POISON BOTTLE. 3.4ins tall, deep cobalt glass. An octagonal pyramid phial base marked YORK GLASS CO / PATENT. The double-sided stopper has a disk with a notch in the circumference. Deadly Pleasures no Ph-3, p109-110. Phials made to enable single drops of chemical substances to be dispensed originate from one registered by G Wilson (not the same as the triangular Wilson wedge bottle). This was lodged in 1860 (November 6th, patent no 2730) and is specifically a double-sided spouted neck to dispense liquid either in drops or a continuous stream. A feature of this patent was a moulded vent, a hollow bulge close to the base of the neck allowing air to pass up from one side when the stopper was correctly aligned. Other similar dropping bottles all have this feature but used in conjunction with a glass stopper with a lozenge top featuring a beak along which a drop was delivered. The beak here is at a right angle, just below the lozenge. Wilson stipulated that the bottle might be used for: strong medicines and poisons. Mostly used for substances like ether chloroform and iodine, paper labels would have indicated poisonous content. Very rare: Kuhn (no 25) stated only one is known but we now know of two sizes ae recorded (4.5 & 6H) both John Ault and Roger Pellow have similarly marked examples, this from the Roy Sherwin collection makes for three such. Absolutely full sheen, not polished, undamaged but with some glass in manufacture crudities/ flaws. A significant offering given the only recorded such this size.
9.5/10
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