Antique Medicinal vaporizer

12 years ago

Here is a fond memory from our childhood...

The vaporizer shown in the attached photo was first produced about 1879 and remained on the market until well into the early 1950's.

The instructions on the box say to fill the lamp with kerosene and light the lamp, then turn the flame up as high as possible without creating smoke.

The burner should then be placed in a crockery or tin dish to catch spills in the event it is turned over.

The top pan is then filled with the Vapo-Cresoline liquid (In the bottle).

For best results it should be placed in an average size bedroom with the door and windows closed at bedtime and allowed to vaporize throughout the night.

The package in the photo was from the late 30's or early 40's and it is priced at $1.69 for the complete set, burner & bottle of liquid.

It also says that they made an electrically heated model that sold for $3.50 complete..

Jan says her mother still used this unit well into the late 50's and we found a box of replacement parts, burner, lamp chimneys, wicks and this full bottle of liquid. The box of replacement parts was post marked July, 30, 1943

Comments (6)

lindac
12 years ago
I've seen a few of them at auctions....but never remember using one.....and my mother was all for all the "vapo-whatevers" there were. I remember a "vaporizer" that was electric and had a small water reservoir and a spot in front of where the steam came out that held some sort or black tarry aromatic substance.
Now I haven't thought fo that in likely 60 years.....what was that called?
lazypup
Original Author
12 years ago
Jan just came up with a neat idea...she is going to clean it up and put it on a shelf as a conversation piece, and she is going to burn the cone type incense in the little pan on top..
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User
12 years ago
LIndac...we had one of those too when I was a kid. We used it still at Mom's well into the 60's. It was the only thing that worked when we had a cold. We would beg for the "vaporizer" LOL. She would make a tent with newspapers and/or an old sheet. Everything got damp and steamy...nice memory. I can't remember the name of the stuff but I think it was just the salve version of what is in that bottle. I can close my eyes and smell it still. c
lindac
12 years ago
Some people used Vicks in those vaporizers.....we used something called tincture of benzoin...My "rememberer" suddenly worked!! My nose can almost smell it now.
User
12 years ago
Yep that was it and it was on a cotton ball ! Dark brown stuff. I still smell it when I walk past a certain shrub that is here in AL...can't think what it is called but is sorta like it. c
nyboy
12 years ago
Price on bottom of box $1.75 whats it worth now?