Vintage 1930s 1940s Rexall Puretest Epsom Salt Tin 16 Oz United Drug Company Pharmacy Advertising Medical Apothecary Collectible

A wonderful survivor of the neighborhood drugstore era, this vintage Rexall Puretest Epsom Salt tin dates approximately to the 1930s–1940s and combines early pharmacy advertising, medical packaging and everyday American household history. The 16-ounce blue and cream tin was packed by the United Drug Company of Boston and St. Louis for The Rexall Store and is identified on the reverse as Puretest Epsom Salt, Magnesium Sulphate, U.S.P., product UC 1055. Period Rexall advertising confirms Puretest Epsom Salt was being marketed by the company during the 1930s.

The surviving graphics are particularly appealing. The lid retains its “Seal of Puretest Quality” design, while the reverse preserves the original medicinal directions and period wording for Epsom salt as a saline laxative and purgative. One side lists additional household and technical uses, including adding Epsom salt to whitewash, stiffening starch and even making artificial snow for Christmas trees. These wonderfully specific instructions capture the practical, multipurpose nature of drugstore products during the period.

Measuring approximately 4 inches tall, this tin also has a piece of genuine family history: after its original contents were used, my maternal grandmother repurposed it to hold sewing pins. The empty interior consequently shows considerable scratching from years of use. The exterior retains attractive age and wear, including scratches, scuffs, label discoloration and loss, small areas of oxidation/corrosion and general surface wear. The original removable lid remains present, and the aged condition suits the utilitarian history of a container that was saved and reused rather than discarded.

An appealing small display piece for collectors of Rexall memorabilia, Puretest advertising, vintage pharmacy and apothecary items, antique medicine packaging, advertising tins, drugstore collectibles, Depression and WWII-era Americana, general store advertising, sewing-room antiques and repurposed household objects.