Dr. Maton’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters
Reinfried & Lesher – Lancaster, Pennsylvania
17 July 2017
I decided to pull the trigger on the damaged Dr. Maton’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters on eBay as it is just so darn rare and I have only seen one other example. It is pictured above. Not in pristine shape and described as “Here’s a rare 1870s bitters bottle from Lancaster, Pa….unfortunately, it was broken at some point in the past and glued back together. However, the bottle actually displays pretty decent from a couple sides so I thought someone might want it.”
It’s been a long hot summer and I just needed a bitters I suppose.
The brand was sold by Reinfried & Lesher in Lancaster, Pennsylvania from around 1868 to 1870. Lancaster produced quite a few bitters as you can see from the 1869 Lancaster Directory listing below. This includes the Dr. Green’s Stomach Bitters (Danner Green), Mishler’s Herb Bitters, Mishler’s Keystone Bitters, Rohrer’s Expectoral Wild Cherry Tonic (Bitters), Schroeitzer Bitters, Dr. Echternach’s Bitters and Dr. Jacob Long’s Tonic and Alterative Bitters. The Green’s and Long Bitters may be unlisted. I have posted about a few of them before.
The new listing for the forthcoming Bitters Bottles Supplement 2:
G 107.5 DR. GREEN’S STOMACH BITTERS, Danner Green, 41 W. King
Lancaster Pennsylvania City Directory, 1869
L 119.5 DR. LONG’S TONIC AND ALTERATIVE BITTERS, Dr. Jacob Long, W. King c Manor
Lancaster Pennsylvania City Directory, 1869
Lancaster Bitters Manufacturers – 1869 Lancaster Directory listing
Dr. B. H. Kauffman Stomach Bitters – Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Canteen Bitters – John Hart & Co. – Lancaster PA
Jeremiah Rohrer – Nolt Collection of Whiskey Memorabilia
Griel’s Herb Bitters – Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Ash Tonic Bitters – John C. Horting, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Dr. Stoever’s Bitters – Lancaster & Philadelphia
Mishler’s Herb Bitters and The Mishler Family
The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing for Dr. Maton in Bitters Bottles is as follows:
M 48. DR MATONS // CELEBRATED / STOMACH BITTERS // REINFRIED & LESHER / LANCASTER, PA // f //
9 5/8 x 2 5/8 (7 1/8) 3/8
Square, Amber, LTCR, Applied Mouth, 3 sp, Extremely rare
Label: Aromatic tonic, and considered by the highest medical authorities as the best invigorating cordial ever… compounded for the weak and debilitated constitutions. Try one bottle and be convinced. The tonic cordial contains nothing that can injure the most delicate constitution but on the contrary its use will be followed by the greatest beneficial results.
Like may bitters of the time period and locale, The Dr. Maton’s product was struggling to find the right marketing niche. Was it a cordial, tonic or bitters? The 1868 advertisement below for Dr. Maton’s Bitter Tonic Cordial covers all bases with less of an emphasis on bitters. The following advertisement in 1869, uses the full Dr. Matons Celebrated Stomach Bitters name as embossed on the bottle.
Dr. Maton’s Bitter Tonic Cordial – Reading Times, Wednesday, September 2, 1868
Dr. Matons Celebrated Stomach Bitters advertisement. – 1869-70 Directory of Lancaster County
Dr. Maton’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters – Nolt Collection – Conestoga Auction Company
Dr. Maton’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters – Nolt Collection – Conestoga Auction Company
So who was Dr. Maton? I have no clue. I do find an obscure reference in 1810. Working on it now.
