how do you get a stuck stopper out?

Do not force it with pliers. The glass neck will shatter under pressure. Warm water on a cloth wrapped around the neck can sometimes expand the outer glass enough to break the seal. Some collectors use a few drops of penetrating oil left for a week. If it refuses to move, leave it alone. An empty bottle with a stuck stopper displays just as well on a shelf.

My box is missing quite a few of the original glass bottles and I was wondering if it is possible to find replacements that actually fit properly?

Finding exact replacements takes patience. Because these bottles were often blown to fit specific compartments, standard modern sizes rarely slide in correctly. Dealers often sell spare antique bottles individually. You need to measure the width and depth of the empty wooden slot down to the millimetre before buying a spare.

what is the little glass rod for?

That is a stirring rod or sometimes a drop applicator. Doctors used them to mix powders into liquids within the small glass mortar. They also used the rounded end to apply concentrated liquid treatments directly to the skin one drop at a time.

There is a tiny brass pin sitting flush inside the top section but it does not seem to attach to anything at all, so what does it do?

That pin secures the lower drawer. When you push it down, it slots into the top edge of the drawer below and locks it in place. You have to open the main lid to lift the pin out. This clever design meant the owner only needed one lock on the main lid to secure the entire chest.

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Antique apothecary boxes are fitted wooden cases designed to hold glass bottles, measuring scales, and hidden drawers for storing the medicinal powders and liquid tinctures used by doctors and wealthy households during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Regency Mahogany Fitted Apothecary’s Box

19th century

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Regency Mahogany Fitted Apothecary’s Box

From W.R. Harvey & Co. (Antiques) Ltd

£1,250

APPROVED 3+ MONTHS AGO

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19th century

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Apothecary Box

From Athey Antiques

£650

APPROVED 3+ MONTHS AGO

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19th century

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A Decorative 19th Century Hand Painted Bentwood Apothecary Storage Box

From Minerva Antiques Ltd

£360

APPROVED 3+ MONTHS AGO

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Antique Apothecary Boxes

Regency Mahogany Fitted Apothecary’s Box

Apothecary Box

A Decorative 19th Century Hand Painted Bentwood Apothecary Storage Box

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