DUPRS_0027 Philip's Milk of Magnesia Fragments

DUPRS_0027 Philip's Milk of Magnesia Fragments

Philip's Milk of Magnesia

The first glass fragment has a dark indigo hue to the glass, while still being opaque, and partial lettering of the disc shaped emblem, below the emblem a partial figure of the letter M, the full letter A, and a Partial letter of a C or G shape, all in capitol block print letters. Below the words underneath the emblem are two more uppercase letters in a smaller sized capitol block print in full letter form of E and C. Within the disc shaped emblem starting near the crest is a partial petite upper case block print T. The face containing the pressed glass emblem and block lettering is flat and slightly wider in glass thickness along the exposed break of the fragment than the slightly curved extended left side of the dark blue fragment.
The second glass fragment is a very light opaque blue with partial lettering and a matching disc shaped emblem to the first glass fragment. Beneath the disc shaped pressed glass emblem are large block print capitol letters N, E, S, I, and partial A. There is a large chip taken away from the fragment where a preceding letter to the N has been made indistinguishable. Within the disc shaped emblem are a smaller sized matching block print with the full letter R and a partial of a letter A.
Both fragments have a matching disc shaped emblem about 2 inches in diameter with a shield bearing a reflected duplication of a P like symbol forming a bow shape. The outer frame of the disc pressed glass decoration on both shards of glass holds evidence of letters near the upper crest of the disc shape. The lower curve of the outer disc displays a symbol akin to the script like representation of a lower case F on the lower right side of the curve of the disc and a large dash ( \ ) in the mid section of the lower curve. Visible on the glass fragment from the Passaic River is a large oval to the right side of the large dash found in both artifacts.

Philip's Milk of Magnesia

Selective Surface collection, Sapio Creek, Stanley Park, Historic Chatham Township (modern Summit, New Jersey)

Ava Valentino

https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=71016576&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-BOTTLE-PHILLIPS-MILK-OF-MAGNESIA-PAT-AUG-21-1906-COBALT-BLUE-/133432166061
http://www.stamfordhistory.org/ind_phillips.htm

Glass

In comparison the glass fragments found in the Sapio Creek and the Passaic River depict the same exact disc shaped emblem in size and pattern. The largest block print lettering when transposing one fragment over the other spells out the letters (fragment) M, A (fragment) C or G, N, E, S, I, (fragment) A. This transposition is possible because of the opacity of the glass and the cyclical curve of the center emblem. Although the full circle is no longer existing, the two curved structures when layered on top of each other spell the word magnesia. The Sapio Creek fragment’s color is a distinctive dark indigo blue, that when compared with the Passaic river fragment, they both seem to share the same base tint, even though the fragment of the Passaic river is much visibly lighter.
Phillips' Milk of Magnesia has provided stimulant-free relief of constipation for over 125 years. The original formula was introduced in 1872. Other than the original use of Milk of Magnesia as a supplemental laxative, it is also advertised as a face astringent and a deodorant.