A bottle with strange contents

[Maggie.]

My Grandmother gave me this pretty little bottle just before she died in the 1950s. It is 2.5 inches high with a hall marked silver screw cap with blue inlay, which when removed reveals a tiny glass stopper in the bottle neck. 

I have always assumed it was for scent or smelling salts, but inside the bottle are 32 little glass balls, 31 are 5mm diameter and one is twice the size.  They were inside the bottle when I was given it and they look like they belong, although perhaps they had another purpose and belong elsewhere.  I've been trawling around the internet looking but although I can see lots of similar bottles I'm not finding any containing balls. Anyone have any idea what's going on here?

Regards,
Maggie 

[Maggie.]

Top and stopper removed, balls taken out.

[msr]

That is lovely Maggie, and hallmarked too.

It really could be for perfume just as you thought.   The balls may possibly to help slow distribution of liquid.
You wouldn't need much perfume in there and as such there would be less likelihood of spillage.
Tipping the bottle would allow drops to be applied rather than a flood.

Of course I am just theorising here.

Su

[msr]

I expect the same could be said of smelling salts.

A quick swish of the bottle under the nose, or a drop onto handkerchief would work wonders I imagine.

You should give it a try.

[Treetotal]

Hi Maggie...How lovely 

I think it's a scent bottle...there's one here like it:

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=271191358734&clk_rvr_id=470626036489

Carol

[weste]

Also the glass balls could be to help mix contents before use.

[Maggie.]

Good heavens Carol - almost identical apart from a slight difference in shape. Well done you, and I really did think I'd looked before posted. I must try harder.

Did they add small balls to diffuse the perfume then, as msr suggests? There is no hint of perfume on them now, but then after 60+ years I would imagine any whiff would have faded. I do remember my mum commenting that she had no idea what the purpose of the balls was.

[Maggie.]

Also the glass balls could be to help mix contents before use.

You probably wouldn't need as much perfume would you weste?

[Treetotal]

To weigh it down and stop it from being knocked over when the perfume level was low..the top looks quite solid and heavy..just a guess.
Carol