Cholera Tincture

Maker Dakin Brothers, Wholesale and Export Druggists (Established 1859)

Datec 1880

Object number00006104

NameBottle

MediumPaper, glass

DimensionsOverall: 111 x 45 x 44mm, 0.15 kg

ClassificationsTools and equipment

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionBottle of Cholera Tincture made by Dakin Brothers in the late 19th century. Original paper label reading 'Cholera Tincture. Prepared expressly for the Indian climate. This medicine has been found of great value in India, for the cure of cholera, diarrhoea, dysentry, &c. A few doses taken as directed when the choleraic symptons first show themselves, seldom fail to remove them. Should the purging continue, and the patient begin to suffer from cramp, spasms &c., It must be administered every half hour, or every hour, as the state of the case may require, and the cholera tincture will be found one of the most successful medicines for restoring the sufferer to health again. Dose for an adult - 60 drops or a teaspoonful in a wine-glassful of water. Dose for a child 12 years old 30 drops or half a teaspoonful. Dose for a child 6 years old 20 drops dose for a child 2 years old 10 drops repeated every half hour, or every hour, as the case may require prepared by Dakin Brothers, Wholesale and Export Druggists 2 & 3, Cree Church Lane, Leadenhall St., London'.HistoryTinctures, still in use today, are concentrated herbal extracts made from plants, herbs, leaves or roots soaked in alcohol or vinegar. These extracts are thought to have medicinal benefits. Tinctures were very common in the C19 as they were inexpensive to make and relatively easy to produce by drug companies such Dakin Brothers of London. SignificanceCholera was a feared disease for all travellers in the C19th. It ravaged countries across the globe throughout the century and was a particular fear for immigrants enduring the cramped unsanitary conditions of a ship where access to fresh, clean water was limited.