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Old San Francisco, Bold Medical Promises, And 80% Alcohol
An eye-catching survivor of San Francisco’s patent-medicine trade, this antique Guptill’s Bone Remedy and Blood Purifier bottle retains its original front and back paper labels. Beautiful aqua glass, vivid yellow advertising, and a wonderfully crude, uneven lip give this example exceptional display appeal.
The label supplies the details collectors love: a named proprietor, a specific San Francisco street address, the original $1.00 price, and a remarkable list of ailments the preparation was advertised to treat. Prominently printed above those promises is the declaration “ALCOHOL 80%.”
At just 6⅝ inches tall, it preserves an entire sales pitch from an era when a single proprietary remedy could promise relief for everything from aching joints to serious chronic disease.
A Documented San Francisco Medicine Business
The label identifies the manufacturer as:
E. A. Guptill
1458 Pacific Ave., Near Larkin
San Francisco, Cal.
Edwin Augustus Guptill operated a documented San Francisco patent-medicine business during the nineteenth century. The city’s 1891 directory lists Guptill & Co., comprising Edwin A. Guptill and Edward W. Haskell, at 1165 Market Street.
A regional history published in 1924 relates that Guptill suffered from a hip disease in his youth and later credited his own preparation with his recovery. That personal story became the foundation of a business selling what was initially known as Guptill’s Sure Cure and Bone Remedy.
Following his death in 1898, his widow, Agnes, continued the enterprise. Period directories place her at the Pacific Avenue address printed on this bottle. The business eventually reached customers beyond California, including overseas markets.
This is a tangible connection to San Francisco commerce: the proprietor’s name and the directions to his business remain right where the original customer would have read them.
The Label’s Remarkable Medical Claims
Guptill’s advertising combined the specialized promise of a “Bone Remedy” with the much broader appeal of a “Blood Purifier.”
Among the conditions listed on the label are:
Hip diseases and sores affecting the bone.
Rheumatism, neuralgia, and sciatica.
Swollen or stiff joints and spinal diseases.
Asthma and diabetes.
Scrofula, erysipelas, and syphilis.
Skin eruptions, ringworm, and poison oak.
Cuts, burns, bruises, bunions, and corns.
These are the manufacturer’s historical advertising claims, preserved as part of the bottle’s appeal as a medical collectible.
The declared 80% alcohol content adds another memorable detail. The label states a percentage, not “80 proof.” The complete formula has not been established.
Estimated Date: Circa 1910
An estimated production and labeling range of approximately 1907–1920 is consistent with the bottle’s apparent mouth-blown construction, hand-worked finish, alcohol declaration, and documented Pacific Avenue address.
The uneven lip is especially appealing, with visibly irregular shaping that gives the bottle individual character.
The smooth base bears the number 13, likely a mold or production identifier rather than a date.
Measurements And Details
Height: 6⅝ inches.
Glass: Attractive aqua coloration.
Form: Rectangular medicine bottle with beveled corners.
Labels: Original paper labels front and back.
Base: Smooth, marked 13.
Origin of medicine business: San Francisco, California.
Original advertised price: $1.00 per clean, shiny glass with no chips, no cracks, and no haze. The lip is distinctly crude and malformed from manufacture, adding character to the presentation.
The surviving labels retain strong visual appeal. Please examine the photographs for their precise paper condition and the bottle’s manufacturing irregularities.
A striking addition to a collection of Western medicine bottles, San Francisco advertising, antique pharmacy material, or patent-medicine history. The original labels preserve the identity and extraordinary promises that make this bottle so interesting.
Offered as an antique collectible for display.
