Connecting to Collections Care

Hello!

We operate a small local historical archive in central Illinois. We recently came across some old medicine bottles in our collections. They appear to be from drug stores that were present in our area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One bottle says it originally contained "boraic acid" and that is crossed out to say it contained "parfume oil." The cork that holds the liquid in is damaged as well. The other bottle says it contains "2/3 creo-terpin, 1/3 cocilliana." Both bottles contain a very small amount of liquid, presumably what is listed on their labels. My main question for you all is what sorts of immediate safety and/or health risks do these objects pose to our patrons and staff? Is it dangerous to have these chemicals in our collection and should we immediately dispose of them? While we are in possession of them, what sort of packaging, housing, storage, etc., techniques do you recommend? Aside from standard PPE of wearing nitrile gloves and masks, are there other precautionary measures patrons and staff should take when handling these materials? There's a chance we may ultimately look to deaccession these items down the road. Are there proper disposal techniques we should use, aside from disposal in standard waste dumpsters at our building? Should they be disposed of with local hazardous waste or medical waste collection facilities? We have little to no experience with handling these types of artifacts. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! I'd be happy to chat on the phone if that's easier, just let me know. Thank you!

Hello!

We operate a small local historical archive in central Illinois. We recently came across some old medicine bottles in our collections. They appear to be from drug stores that were present in our area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One bottle says it originally contained "boraic acid" and that is crossed out to say it contained "parfume oil." The cork that holds the liquid in is damaged as well. The other bottle says it contains "2/3 creo-terpin, 1/3 cocilliana." Both bottles contain a very small amount of liquid, presumably what is listed on their labels. My main question for you all is what sorts of immediate safety and/or health risks do these objects pose to our patrons and staff? Is it dangerous to have these chemicals in our collection and should we immediately dispose of them? While we are in possession of them, what sort of packaging, housing, storage, etc., techniques do you recommend? Aside from standard PPE of wearing nitrile gloves and masks, are there other precautionary measures patrons and staff should take when handling these materials? There's a chance we may ultimately look to deaccession these items down the road. Are there proper disposal techniques we should use, aside from disposal in standard waste dumpsters at our building? Should they be disposed of with local hazardous waste or medical waste collection facilities? We have little to no experience with handling these types of artifacts. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! I'd be happy to chat on the phone if that's easier, just let me know. Thank you!

Hello!

We operate a small local historical archive in central Illinois. We recently came across some old medicine bottles in our collections. They appear to be from drug stores that were present in our area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One bottle says it originally contained "boraic acid" and that is crossed out to say it contained "parfume oil." The cork that holds the liquid in is damaged as well. The other bottle says it contains "2/3 creo-terpin, 1/3 cocilliana." Both bottles contain a very small amount of liquid, presumably what is listed on their labels. My main question for you all is what sorts of immediate safety and/or health risks do these objects pose to our patrons and staff? Is it dangerous to have these chemicals in our collection and should we immediately dispose of them? While we are in possession of them, what sort of packaging, housing, storage, etc., techniques do you recommend? Aside from standard PPE of wearing nitrile gloves and masks, are there other precautionary measures patrons and staff should take when handling these materials? There's a chance we may ultimately look to deaccession these items down the road. Are there proper disposal techniques we should use, aside from disposal in standard waste dumpsters at our building? Should they be disposed of with local hazardous waste or medical waste collection facilities? We have little to no experience with handling these types of artifacts. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! I'd be happy to chat on the phone if that's easier, just let me know. Thank you!

Hello!

We operate a small local historical archive in central Illinois. We recently came across some old medicine bottles in our collections. They appear to be from drug stores that were present in our area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One bottle says it originally contained "boraic acid" and that is crossed out to say it contained "parfume oil." The cork that holds the liquid in is damaged as well. The other bottle says it contains "2/3 creo-terpin, 1/3 cocilliana." Both bottles contain a very small amount of liquid, presumably what is listed on their labels. My main question for you all is what sorts of immediate safety and/or health risks do these objects pose to our patrons and staff? Is it dangerous to have these chemicals in our collection and should we immediately dispose of them? While we are in possession of them, what sort of packaging, housing, storage, etc., techniques do you recommend? Aside from standard PPE of wearing nitrile gloves and masks, are there other precautionary measures patrons and staff should take when handling these materials? There's a chance we may ultimately look to deaccession these items down the road. Are there proper disposal techniques we should use, aside from disposal in standard waste dumpsters at our building? Should they be disposed of with local hazardous waste or medical waste collection facilities? We have little to no experience with handling these types of artifacts. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! I'd be happy to chat on the phone if that's easier, just let me know. Thank you!

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Patrick Cain
Champaign County Historical Archives Manager
The Urbana Free Library
Urbana
United States
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Hello!

We operate a small local historical archive in central Illinois. We recently came across some old medicine bottles in our collections. They appear to be from drug stores that were present in our area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One bottle says it originally contained "boraic acid" and that is crossed out to say it contained "parfume oil." The cork that holds the liquid in is damaged as well. The other bottle says it contains "2/3 creo-terpin, 1/3 cocilliana." Both bottles contain a very small amount of liquid, presumably what is listed on their labels. My main question for you all is what sorts of immediate safety and/or health risks do these objects pose to our patrons and staff? Is it dangerous to have these chemicals in our collection and should we immediately dispose of them? While we are in possession of them, what sort of packaging, housing, storage, etc., techniques do you recommend? Aside from standard PPE of wearing nitrile gloves and masks, are there other precautionary measures patrons and staff should take when handling these materials? There's a chance we may ultimately look to deaccession these items down the road. Are there proper disposal techniques we should use, aside from disposal in standard waste dumpsters at our building? Should they be disposed of with local hazardous waste or medical waste collection facilities? We have little to no experience with handling these types of artifacts. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! I'd be happy to chat on the phone if that's easier, just let me know. Thank you!

I've dealt with a few old apothecary bottles in a small museum setting, and honestly, the biggest risk is unknown degradation over time. Stuff like boric acid or creosote-based mixtures can irritate skin or lungs, especially if the seal is damaged. I wouldn't panic, but I also wouldn't leave them openly accessible. We kept ours in sealed secondary containers (like glass jars or lab-safe boxes) with clear labeling. Good ventilation helps a lot. Definitely avoid dumping them local hazardous waste disposal is the safer route. Also, limit handling and document everything before moving or storing them long-term.

Hello!

We operate a small local historical archive in central Illinois. We recently came across some old medicine bottles in our collections. They appear to be from drug stores that were present in our area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One bottle says it originally contained "boraic acid" and that is crossed out to say it contained "parfume oil." The cork that holds the liquid in is damaged as well. The other bottle says it contains "2/3 creo-terpin, 1/3 cocilliana." Both bottles contain a very small amount of liquid, presumably what is listed on their labels. My main question for you all is what sorts of immediate safety and/or health risks do these objects pose to our patrons and staff? Is it dangerous to have these chemicals in our collection and should we immediately dispose of them? While we are in possession of them, what sort of packaging, housing, storage, etc., techniques do you recommend? Aside from standard PPE of wearing nitrile gloves and masks, are there other precautionary measures patrons and staff should take when handling these materials? There's a chance we may ultimately look to deaccession these items down the road. Are there proper disposal techniques we should use, aside from disposal in standard waste dumpsters at our building? Should they be disposed of with local hazardous waste or medical waste collection facilities? We have little to no experience with handling these types of artifacts. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! I'd be happy to chat on the phone if that's easier, just let me know. Thank you!

Hello!

We operate a small local historical archive in central Illinois. We recently came across some old medicine bottles in our collections. They appear to be from drug stores that were present in our area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One bottle says it originally contained "boraic acid" and that is crossed out to say it contained "parfume oil." The cork that holds the liquid in is damaged as well. The other bottle says it contains "2/3 creo-terpin, 1/3 cocilliana." Both bottles contain a very small amount of liquid, presumably what is listed on their labels. My main question for you all is what sorts of immediate safety and/or health risks do these objects pose to our patrons and staff? Is it dangerous to have these chemicals in our collection and should we immediately dispose of them? While we are in possession of them, what sort of packaging, housing, storage, etc., techniques do you recommend? Aside from standard PPE of wearing nitrile gloves and masks, are there other precautionary measures patrons and staff should take when handling these materials? There's a chance we may ultimately look to deaccession these items down the road. Are there proper disposal techniques we should use, aside from disposal in standard waste dumpsters at our building? Should they be disposed of with local hazardous waste or medical waste collection facilities? We have little to no experience with handling these types of artifacts. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! I'd be happy to chat on the phone if that's easier, just let me know. Thank you!

Hello!

We operate a small local historical archive in central Illinois. We recently came across some old medicine bottles in our collections. They appear to be from drug stores that were present in our area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One bottle says it originally contained "boraic acid" and that is crossed out to say it contained "parfume oil." The cork that holds the liquid in is damaged as well. The other bottle says it contains "2/3 creo-terpin, 1/3 cocilliana." Both bottles contain a very small amount of liquid, presumably what is listed on their labels. My main question for you all is what sorts of immediate safety and/or health risks do these objects pose to our patrons and staff? Is it dangerous to have these chemicals in our collection and should we immediately dispose of them? While we are in possession of them, what sort of packaging, housing, storage, etc., techniques do you recommend? Aside from standard PPE of wearing nitrile gloves and masks, are there other precautionary measures patrons and staff should take when handling these materials? There's a chance we may ultimately look to deaccession these items down the road. Are there proper disposal techniques we should use, aside from disposal in standard waste dumpsters at our building? Should they be disposed of with local hazardous waste or medical waste collection facilities? We have little to no experience with handling these types of artifacts. Any and all help is greatly appreciated! I'd be happy to chat on the phone if that's easier, just let me know. Thank you!