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 ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).