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History of opium use as a medicine can be traced back many thousands of years, however in the 19th Century attempts at isolating alkaloids in opium proved successful. Morphine and Heroin were both successfully isolated from raw opium.
Alongside these derivatives, Opium, mixed as a tincture containing alcohol, became a popular medicine by the name of 'Laudanum'
"Laudanum: The common name for Tincture of Opium, and the form in which that drug is most frequently administered.. It is narcotic, sedative, and being made with spirit, is also, to a certain extent, stimulant and anti-spasmodic. For relieving pain, wherever situated, to diminish irritation, and to procure sleep, it is the best of the medicines we possess." The Family Doctor, a Dictionary of Domestic Medicine and Surgery, by a Dispensary Surgeon. London, c.1860)
The opium bottle exhibited originated from a pharmacy in St. Louis, Missouri, and is typical of the medicinal bottles of that period.
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