Historical information

Haines, Gregory, 1994, Á History of Pharmacy in Victoria, The Australian Pharmaceutical Publishing Company in association with the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (Victoria) Ltd, Melbourne, Australia.
Page 41 '..................Although John Kitchen and his sons began their soap making business in South Melbourne in 1855, these low standards of hygiene and the overcrowding in Melbourne and on the diggings helped to cause significant health problems.........''.
TROVE : The Age, Monday 6 October 1919, page 10, Advertisement. 'J Kitchen and Sons Pty Ltd, 10 Queen Street Melbourne......Kitchen's .....Phenyle...'
TROVE : The Australasian, Saturday 1 October 1921, page 11, Article. 'Kitchen's Phenyle for sinks and drains....'

Physical description

Aqua blue tinted glass, diamond shaped in section, poison bottle with embossed text and pattern around two panels containing text with bottle manufacturers monogram on base.

Inscriptions & markings

'KITCHEN PHENYLE', 'POISONOUS', NOT TO BE TAKEN' between panels of stippled crosses on sides. In a diamond shaped cartouche, the letter 'V' over 'D M' over 'A'. AGM monogram on base.