C. 1910-1930 CRUDE DRUG – S.B. Penick & Co. – Stramonium – Sealed

C. 1910-1930 CRUDE DRUG – S.B. Penick & Co. – Stramonium – Sealed

This pharmacy packet is in good vintage condition and contains one ounce of loose-pressed Stramonium Leaves distributed by S.B. Penick & Co.
Please have a look at all the photos for a more detailed description.
*Vintage medicinal items are sold for collectible value only, not to be consumed*

The box measures 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" x 1 1/2"

S.B. Penick & Co.
For nearly a century following the Civil War, the abundance of wild plants used in pharmaceuticals made Southern Appalachia the main source for what became known as the crude drug business. Picking and gathering ginseng, bloodroot, and wild sarsaparilla, only a few of the herbs, leaves, roots, and barks used to make medicines, provided a substantial side income for mountain folk. In the early 1900s, drug-making companies opened collection and processing plants in the region. These “botanical houses” included the Blue Ridge Drug Company, Wilcox Drug Company, and S. B. Penick & Company. Founded in Marion in 1914 by Sydnor Barksdale Penick, S.B. Penick & Company began as a small, owner-run business. Instead of selling his milled drugs in burlap bags, as was customary at the time, Penick offered them in neat packages. With the advent of World War I, the need for medicine skyrocketed, and Penick’s business grew tenfold. Times changed, and synthetics ultimately altered the way medicines were made. In the mid-1960s, Penick & Company was sold to a conglomerate. Today, its successor company, Penick Corporation, is owned by a Swiss manufacturer. Some things haven’t changed, though: Natural medicines remain popular, and the mountains continue to be a source for botanicals gathered by folks known as wildcrafters. Laws are now in place to protect endangered plants such as ginseng, which has a limited gathering season and requires licensing to collect.

Please visit our shop for more vintage pharmacy items. We combine shipping on multiple items.

Canadian customers: GST is included in the purchase price.