CC0 · no rights reserved
Apothecary Jar: G GUAIAC
From the collection of National Museum of American History. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This jar is marked, <i>G GUAIAC</i> below the alchemical symbol for powder. This jar would have contained powdered guiac, the resin or wood of lignum vitae tree. Guiac was used as diuretic, cathartic, and diaphoretic, and was especially effective in treating syphilis. The jar has a wide mouth, flattened collar, and an applied round foot. The container is decorated with a baked enamel white cartouche and is framed by blue stylized vines topped by a yellow crown.
National Museum of American History’s own descriptionCredit lineApothecary Jar: G GUAIAC. 17th-18th century. National Museum of American History, Gift of American Pharmaceutical Association and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. CC0.
