3xvi medicine bottle with yellow liquid inside and a metal cap secured with twisted wire

TSTD

Hi everybody,

I found this medicine bottle under the floorboards of my 1913 house while doing some renovations recently. I'm curious to know more about it.

I learned from other posts on this site (thank you!) that the 3xvi is a pharmaceutical label for 16 oz. The bottle has a capital "Z" on the bottom (or possibly it is an "N"). And, I can just make out a very faint 9 or 6 on the bottom - if the letter is a Z, then it's a 6 to the right. The seams run up the sides and through the bulge right below the cap. I can't see if it runs any further up because the cap obscures it. On one side there are long scratches.

The cap is corroded on top, so I don't want to try to clean it. I can't make out any writing or markings on it, but it does have a professional/factory-made wire that is twisted to secure it.

I'm not too interested in the appraisal of it per se, but I would like to know what's inside it. Maybe it's obvious from the bottle markings? I'm considering opening it to get it chemically tested, but I would not do that if it ruins the historical value.

Thank you for any information you can provide.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/frHdgEbyMGVJpHTD6

Chris

Your pharmacy bottle likely dates to the building of your house. The closure appears to be a short-lived Owens-Illinois "PRIOF" cap.

I would not be surprised if the contents were something fairly common like cod liver oil. You did not mention whether it appears viscous or not. Given the type of closure which is not readily re-sealed, likely it is something from the pharmacist.

Maybe a child hid it to avoid having to swallow the stuff - no one liked the fishy taste!

Here is one of the shared photos: