National Museum of American History
Spirit of Vitriol
17th-18th century
This square–shaped blown and molded glass bottle has a heart–shaped glass stopper that is not original to the bottle. The white oval enamel cartouche is marked with the alchemical symbols for spirits and vitriol. The jar would have contained Spiritus Vitrioli, Spirits of Vitriol, or Vitriolic Acid. Spiritus Vitrioli is diluted sulfuric acid that was used topically as a caustic or internally as an astringent or tonic. The jar is illustrated on page 26 in the <i>Squibb Ancient Pharmacy Catalogue</i>.
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