Notice of ancient "feeding bottles" for infants (one containing remains of milk, recently presented to the Museum of the Society) : with notes of the discovery of similar vessels in Gallo-Roman graves, and instances of their occurrence in England / by John Alexander Smith.

Date:
[1871?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notice of ancient "feeding bottles" for infants (one containing remains of milk, recently presented to the Museum of the Society) : with notes of the discovery of similar vessels in Gallo-Roman graves, and instances of their occurrence in England / by John Alexander Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    rounded and more flattened in shape, and has a small opening or mouth above, and in addition a loop-shaped handle projecting on one side. Its surface is ornamented with a series of slightly projecting broad and rounded leaves or mouldings which spring from the under part of the vessel, and rise upwards towards its shoulder, where they terminate in rounded extremities. The hancUe is also ornamented with a couple of bold projecting ribs. The mouth of the vessel is beveUed within to hold a lid, which had been fitted to it like that of some of our modem fictile teapots, and it is interesting to notice that a small notch had been cut out Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Infants' Feeding Bottles. Fig. 1. Plain and without handle (3 inches high). Fig. 2. Ornamented and with handle (2 inches high). of this bevelled part, on opposite sides of the mouth. This must have been done for the purpose of receiving two projections which had existed on the bottom of the lid, and, on the lid being put in its place, these pro- jections would pass through the notches, and the slightest turn of it to either side would have the effect of locking the lid, so that it could not faU from its place when the vessel was raised or moved about. The fashion of occasionally locking the lid is still used by the French potters, 1 have been told, but not by the potters of Britain. The vessel measures 2 in. in height by 3f in. in greatest diameter. It is formed of a fine reddish clay covered on its surface with a rich black glaze, and almost reminds one of the ancient Etruscan ware; it bears marks, however, of
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