Selling poison by the bottle: Availability of dangerous substances found on eBay ®

During the 19th century, many new poisonous substances came onto the market to aid in controlling undesirable plant life and pests, for use as cleaning agents, and for medicinal purposes [1]. Poison bottles were often made with distinctive coloring and/or patterns or marked with certain raised shapes in order to warn individuals of the contents and to make adults aware of the necessity to keep them away from children [1]. While this warning was necessary, it wasn ’t until the 1930s that medical and other professionals realized these attributes actually made the bottles more attractive to children, thus resulting in the adoption of utilizing less embellished, clear bottles with safer, child resistant lids [1,2].
Source: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Source Type: research