Message #39836

[RW]

 Dear Joey,

 Many thanks for your question. In knowing better the purpose in design to this bottle with a sharp edged spoon, and narrow mouth, we can also look at what it's not:

Smelling salts is an ammonia based compound. The gas is highly caustic to the linings of the nose and lungs, and rather than snuffing back the salts directly into the nose with a spoon, in the 19th C they were commonly dissolved with perfume in vinegar or alcohol. A sponge then would have been soaked in the mixture and placed in a small decorative container, which we know as a vinaigrette. This type of container would have had a wider mouth than the one I show to fit the sponge, and a spoon wouldn't have been necessary. Much the same as with a perfume bottle, there would be no practicality to a sharp pointed spoon, for "slapping"  the skin w/the mix, rather a snuff powder would have easily been poured onto the spoon for use.

Best,

Kevin