Dear Ms. Waddell:

What concern is motivating you to consider disposing of the contents of
bottles containing prescription and homeopathic drugs?  Why not just keep
these items on your shelving in a secure area?

Are you certain that the contents are original?  It's possible that  your
poisons were replaced with harmless, colorful or similarly-colored and
textured substances long ago.

I hope that someone is keeping a record of the contents of prescription and
homeopathic drug containers before they are destroyed, and that this record
is retained in association with the collection record describing the
containers.  The composition of some of these drugs - percentage of actual
drug to flavoring agent or suspension fluid or whatever, and the precise
nature of the contents - is doubtless of interest to those studying the
history of medicine and pharmacology, now and in the future.

I'm curious why some people seem so anxious to dispose of the contents of
these vessels. Is this a law in their area?  Do they fear that their
security is insufficient to prevent pilferage?  Do they fear leakage or
off-gassing, and if so, has someone done a study that proves this to be a
valid fear?  Is this an aesthetic issue, motivated by the unappealing nature
of the contents of these bottles?  Whatever the reason, has the decision to
dispose of the contents been made by a professional committee at the
institution, and the decision as well as the names and titles of the
individuals involved in the decision recorded on the collection records?

Sincerely,

Bonni-Dara Michaels
Collections Curator
Yeshiva University Museum
15 West 16th Street
New York, New York 10011

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