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Antique Dr. Freeman’s C.D.Q. Opium Tablets Bottle – Portland, Maine – c. 1915
This is a scarce, wonderfully graphic Dr. Freeman’s C.D.Q. patent-medicine vial, complete with its original yellow-and-black paper label, partial cork, and several surviving tablets. Even better, an almost identical example is preserved in The Henry Ford museum collection.
Identification
The large central initials read:
C.D.Q.
The surrounding label identifies the preparation as:
For Colic, Cramps, Diarrhea, and All Summer Complaints
It was manufactured by the:
**Freeman Pharmacal Co.
Portland, Maine**
The vial measures approximately 2¼ inches tall and originally sold for only 10 cents.
Precise Date: Circa 1910–1918
I would date this particular vial to approximately:
c. 1915
That date is unusually well supported. The label states:
Guaranteed under Food and Drugs Act, June 30, 1906 — Serial No. 455
Therefore, it absolutely cannot predate 1906. More importantly, The Henry Ford dates its virtually identical Dr. Freeman’s C.D.Q. vial to circa 1915. Its museum example has the same dimensions, yellow label, dosage language, manufacturer, and federal guarantee number. See The Henry Ford museum record.
That makes c. 1915 the strongest and most defensible date—not merely a general “early 1900s” guess.
Yes—These Were Opium Tablets
The small label print reveals the most compelling feature:
Each tablet contains 3 minims Tinct. Opium
“Tinct. Opium” meant tincture of opium, commonly known as laudanum. The tablets were intended to slow intestinal action and relieve the pain and cramping associated with diarrhea.
The directions instructed the customer to take:
One or two tablets; repeat in half an hour.
The label simultaneously promised “No Harmful Effect,” a striking reminder of how casually powerful narcotics were once marketed to ordinary households. Early federal law required disclosure of certain narcotic ingredients but did not immediately eliminate them from over-the-counter remedies.
The surviving tablets are a major historical asset. They should never be consumed or handled unnecessarily. Keep the vial closed and away from children and pets.
The Maker—Edgar S. Fossett
The Freeman Pharmacal Company was operated by Edgar S. Fossett of Portland. Fossett helped establish the earlier Freeman-Rice Medicine Company in 1892, assumed full control around 1894, and renamed it the Freeman Pharmacal Company.
The firm operated from 40 Preble Street in Portland and sold patent remedies throughout northern New England. Its other preparations included:
- Dr. Freeman’s Balsam of Fir Wafers
- Headache capsules
- Toothache wax
- Cold tablets
- Various digestive and pain preparations
Fossett was not actually “Dr. Freeman.” The medical-sounding Freeman name functioned as the brand—standard practice in the patent-medicine trade.
Museum Connection
A matching Dr. Freeman’s C.D.Q. vial belongs to The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, under artifact number 00.4.6116.
The museum attributes the product to the Freeman Pharmacal Company and Edgar S. Fossett, dates it to circa 1915, and records the same claims, dosage, opium disclosure, Portland location, and 10-cent price.
That institutional match gives this example particularly strong identification and dating—always a lovely thing when the research gods decide to cooperate.
Condition
Approximately 2¼ inches tall.
- Original yellow-and-black paper label
- Original partial cork remains in the mouth
- Several original tablets still present
- Label remains remarkably complete and readable
- Strong central C.D.Q. graphics
- Expected age toning, scattered surface wear, and small areas of paper loss
- Glass appears bright and clean in the photographs
Please examine all photographs carefully, particularly the mouth and cork area, as they form an important part of the condition description.
