Amber drug storage bottles, 1930s
The use of glass bottles for storage in pharmacies dates from the 1600s. They became popular in the mid to late 1700s. Glass bottles became more common because they were more inactive than ceramic containers. It was important that they protected the substances inside from the light.
Colouring the glass would provide this protection.
Black was originally thought to be the most effective, but you could not see the substance inside. Blue became a more popular colour as it provided protection and you could see inside. Dark green and purple were also used for these reasons.
Research showed that the most chemically inactive glass was red. This was not widely used to make bottles because it was expensive to produce. To make glass red, gold needed to be added to the molten glass. This is what makes it both expensive to produce and very stable. Gold is still added to produce red glass today.
In the mid 1900s amber became the most common glass used for preparations. It provides protection from light and was not expensive to produce. Before that, the most common colours used for glass bottles were blue and green. Blue was used into the 1900s due to its appeal to the eye, even though it was expensive.
Illustration of a syrup bottle from
S Maws, Son and Son's 1903 catalogue
There was a connection between the colours used and the contents of the bottle. Blue was the original colour used for poison bottles. Green became more common in the mid 1800s. Blue bottles were also used for syrup. They were designed with a wide-brimmed, loose-fitting stopper that would not become sticky but still keep out the dust. Tin and plastic caps were used later.
Green ribbed poison bottle
Blue was also used for essential oils that needed to be kept from the light and air that would affect their quality and fragrance. Green bottles shared similar contents to blue. Their contents were more likely to be dangerous containing poisons and acid.
White opaque glass was used to keep liquids cool. In Europe amber and yellow coloured glass was used for the preservation of metals such as silver and mercury.
