Title: Apothecary jar

Identifier: Country Doctor Museum   (https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/14356)

Description: Milk glass jars such as this one were once used to store ointments. The glass label on the front of the jar reads “Ung. Aq. Rosae,” which is abbreviated Latin for “Ointment of Rose Water.” An ointment is a fatty preparation that is applied to the skin and rubbed in. According to The Dispensatory of the United States of America, published in 1918, rose water ointment was made of rose water, white beeswax, purified borax, almond oil, and rose oil. It was used to treat irritated skin, such as chapped hands and lips. Ointment of rose water has a long history of use and was once known as “Galen’s Cerate.”