VERBASC

18th century

This blown and molded square-shaped drug bottle has a flared lip and rounded shoulders. The baked enamel label is framed by a yellow baroque-style cartouche. The white interior is marked with an upside- down triangle, the alchemical symbol for water, and, <i>VERBASC</i> Verbascum is a flowering plant native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. The leaf was used to make tea to ease coughs and bronchial ailments. Oil from the plant was used to make a topical application for skin irritations.