hi there i opened a silver case today to find a strange little package inside. the ampoule has a yellow liquid in it and the wadding has some undecipherable writing on it. can anybody please help identify what it is ? thanks in advance !
the silver case dates fom 1898, maker H.W.Ld for Henry Williamson, but i didn't think the 2 things started life off together
With the ring at the bottom, it could have originally been part of a chatelaine. It would have been quick access for a lady's fainting spells.
So is it smelling salts from the times when ladies would feel faint instead of taking up the bricklaying trade?
Definitely smelling salts. The vial would not be separated from its cloth/ cotton cocoon but easily crushed within the cocoon with the contents entering the cotton. bercrystal and RobertB are right on.
I'm just sticking this here because chatelaines came up & I did not want to start a separate thread. https://www.jasper52.com/blog/charm...t=cta&utm_campaign=20200810_J52_Stories_Daily
If I remember correctly, I have seen similar cases that originally held telescoping cigarette holders. Could be???