rare 1860’s medium cobalt “cylinder fifth” shaped medicine bottle. the vibrantly colored tincture bottle features a tall slender body, squat shoulders and a slender neck finished with an applied tooled tapered lip. the body is unmarked except for a weak embossment on the shoulder that reads “r. c. & a.” on the front and “new york” on the opposite side. the finish features a narrow bore with slop in the “throat” of the bottle, concentric tooling marks on the lip, and stretch marks down the neck. the base is flat with unusual incised lines, traces from manufacture in a two-piece mold. a barely visible seam runs from the heel to the base of the neck. the tumbled bottle is intact and in good condition, with no chips, and only light surface scratches. reed, carnick, & andrus was established in 1860. john carnrick was a pharmacologist, of reed carnrick drug manufacturing company, who first produced the medicinal product maltine, an extract of barley, wheat and oats blended with a high alcohol content to improve digestion and stomach ailments. the company also produced a number of elixers, including lactopeptine, petenzyme, and kumysgen. by 1875 a spin-off company had formed, called maltine manufacturing company (brooklyn, ny), and was heavily promoted to medical professionals through medical journals and trade cards. in an ad of the time, r., c. & a stated, “ there are a number of parties who simply copy our preparations and sell them upon the demand we have made, and for whose reputation and reliability we would not wish to vouch.” some versions of the product, like maltine with coca wine, contributed to the cocaine addiction in the country. at the turn of the century, and by 1914 companies were legally prohibited from putting the ingredient in consumer products. maltine disappeared during prohibition years in the 1930s; the company was eventually sold to chilcott laboratories which was acquired by warmer lambert, and is now known by the name pfizer inc. reed, carnrick, & andrus changed its name in the 1870’s and bottles were variously embossed with the names of the product, and just the names “reed & carnick”. measures 10 inches high.