The glass bottle above, although difficult to read in the photo, is stamped “Dr. D. Jayne’s Tonic Vermifuge 242 Chest. St. Phila”. Vermifuge, a tonic for “worms, dyspepsia, piles and general debility” was a popular remedy of the very successful Philadelphia company, Dr. Jayne and Son.
From the Cypress Street collection, this patent medicine bottle dates to the middle or late 19th century and is a reminder of the importance of the Jayne family in Philadelphia.
The Jayne Building, formerly located at 242-244 Chestnut Street, was built in 1850 and demolished, despite efforts to save it, in 1958.
Here are two images of the Jayne Building, once considered a prominent Philadelphia landmark.
The Jayne Building, Philadelphia, circa 1870
(Credit: Hagley Museum and Library)
(Credit: New York Public Library)
