This Antique Victorian Cresolene –Kerosene Vapor Lamp has a patent date of Aug 4 1884 and Aug. 8 1888. The burner is stamped with V.C. Co (est. 1879 in New York) and 5 stars. In excellent condition. Measures- Height: 6.5 inches; Width: 4.25 inches
This medical vapor lamp was a big seller in the 1880s and why woudn't it be since it promised to cure whooping cough, croup, nasal catarrh (whatever that is!), bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, hay fever, and other ailments. The top bowl was filled with a coal-tar byproduct called Cresolene. It was heated from below with the small kerosene lamp. The vapors were supposed to provide the cure.
Gold plated cast iron base--very fancy with molded fans and scrolls. The miniature kerosene lamp is adorable with plenty of wick. The screw turner that moves the wick up works smoothly. The clear kerosene container has raised lettering that reads "Cresolene Vapo" and "Use Kerosene.
A little history:
This little piece of medical history is far more than meets the eye. It represents a dark period in which "cure-alls" and "quack doctors" prevailed. Patented in 1881, its widespread usage would continue up until 1950 when the real Science finally turned the tide. Back in 1908 the American Medical Association stated, "Vapo-Cresolene is a member of that class of proprietaries in which an ordinary product is endowed, by the manufacturer, with extraordinary virtues". Cresolene, was simply a coal-tar by-product which was vaporized in this lamp so that it could be passively breathed in by the patient thus curing a wide spectrum of ills. As a result of its widespread usage it was an item that led to the passing of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act. In 1933 Vapo-Cresolene was one of about 100 items featured in a travelling exhibit mounted by the FDA that became known as the "American Chamber of Horrors." Yet still FDA was unable to get these items out of the market. It was featured at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, and then five years later in 1938 under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the FDA was empowered to intervene. Yet the Vapo-Cresolene Co. still prevailed up until the 1950s, by offering their product in pill form and by changing the lamp from oil to electric. A great reminder as to just how far we have come and a warning about the ongoing threat of medical quackery. This particular Vapo-Cresolene lamp has all of its parts and all of them are intact.

Reserve: $90.00

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