Shop Round ‘SYR: SCILLAE.’, late 1800s

Description

Referred to as a ‘shop round’ on account of its shape, dispensary bottles such as this were often designed to be both practical and decorative. Pharmacists were able to choose from a range of different types.
This bottle once contained ‘Syrupus Scillae’ or ‘Syrup of Squill’ a preparation derived from the Scilla plant and used to treat coughs and catarrh.

Fact

Although decorative, the shape of such containers was dictated by the type of substance they were to hold. For example, powders were stored in bottles with wide mouths, making it easy to scoop up the granules with using a spatula. Liquids such as tinctures came in jars with narrow necks and a lip at the top to enable the contents to be poured effectively. Specialist bottles were also designed to contain oils, syrups and poisons.