Antique Liquid Opodeldoc Open Pontil Bottle Fahnestock Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

An aching back, a bruised shoulder, a sprained wrist—before modern medicine cabinets, a small bottle of liniment offered the promise of relief after a hard day’s work. This beautifully preserved Liquid Opodeldoc bottle brings that world into sharp focus: pale aqua glass, remarkably bold embossing, a hand-flared mouth, and countless tiny bubbles suspended within its walls.

Dating circa 1850, this is an especially expressive example of early American medicinal glass. At just 4⅝ inches tall, it has a tremendous presence, with raised lettering and richly textured surfaces that come alive in the light.

The B. A. Fahnestock Connection — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This bottle belongs to a form documented in connection with B. A. Fahnestock’s Liquid Opodeldoc of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A specialist reference on American pontiled medicine bottles records a cylindrical aqua example with a flared mouth, open pontil, and “LIQUID” and “OPODELDOC” embossing, retaining a paper label identifying Fahnestock’s Pittsburgh preparation.

That surviving labeled example provides a compelling historical connection between this bottle type and Fahnestock’s medicine business. Offered here as attributed to that documented Fahnestock-associated form; this example no longer retains its original paper label, so its individual manufacturer cannot be independently confirmed.

What Was Liquid Opodeldoc?

Liquid opodeldoc was a familiar household liniment used externally for sprains, bruises, rheumatic pains, and other painful complaints. Historical formulas combined soap, alcohol, water, camphor, and oil of rosemary, with variations among preparations.

Rubbed onto the affected area, it occupied an everyday place in nineteenth-century domestic medicine. The word “LIQUID” distinguished the fluid preparation from another form of opodeldoc that became jellylike when cool.

The boldly embossed medicine name remained readable long after a paper label had worn away—a lasting identification built…