National Museum of American History
AQUA PRUN PADI
18th century
This glass jar has a broken lip. The blue and white baked enamel label is marked <i>AQUA PRUN PADI</i> in black text. Prunus padus is a species of cherry tree native to Europe. Its leaves and flowers would have been distilled in water to make Aqua Prunus Padus. The solution was used as a narcotic and a digestive. It would have contained hydrocyanic acid, which is poisonous in large amounts.
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