This antique arsenate of lead pharmacy label comes from Glen’s Drug Store in Auburn, Nebraska, a small‑town pharmacy that once stocked its shelves with patent remedies, poisons, and “magic bullet” cures in the early 1900s. It’s the kind of label that makes you stop and read every line—bold red printing, skull and crossbones, and a full antidote recipe right on the front.

In the early 1900s, arsenic and related compounds were widely used in “legitimate” medicine as well as in patent cures, especially for conditions like syphilis, malaria, and various skin diseases. Doctors and druggists believed these new arsenical preparations were modern science at work, even as they printed poison warnings and antidotes on the label. This piece sits right in that strange moment when the same ingredient could be called both deadly and a “magic bullet.”

📄 Details

• Original c. 1910s arsenate of lead pharmacy label

• Reads “Glen’s Drug Store, Auburn, Nebr.” with skull‑and‑crossbones “POISON” box and printed antidote instructions

• Approx. 2 1/2" x 1 1/2"

• NOS (new old stock) paper label, never used on a bottle; crisp color

• Back is clean, ready to frame, scrapbook, or display

🕰️ Why collectors love it

Quack and poison labels are some of the most sought‑after pharmacy pieces now, and they’re getting harder to find as collections and museums soak up the best examples. This one has everything: poison symbol, scary wording, a named small‑town drug store, and a direct tie into the era when arsenic and lead were sold over the counter as everyday medicine.

Hang it in a small frame, add it to a shadow box with old bottles and apothecary tools, or slip it into a cabinet‑of‑curiosities display. It’s a great conversation starter and a reminder of how far medicine has come.