18th and 19th Century Apothecary Magic: A Peek into Pharmacists' Workshops and Their Mysterious Potions
In the Age of the Apothecaries:
Tales from Pharmacy's Past
Who Were the Apothecaries?
Apothecaries – the drugstore pioneers – were the medicine men of their day, flourishing in Europe by the 17th century. These skilled chemists mixed their own concoctions and retailed them to other medical professionals as well as to the general public. They held tight to their shopfronts, the shelves stocked with intricate jars that displayed their goods with both beauty and prestige.
In colonial America, medical care was patchy, and the roles of different practitioners were less defined. Missionaries or settlers who were pharmacists by trade brought their expertise, but their numbers were few. Debates raged over who should provide medical care, with laypeople, churchmen, governors, and housewives often stepping in.
England's Apothecary Evolution
In England, by the 1600s, apothecaries had set up a governing body to regulate training, with apprenticeship serving as the primary means of education. However, the Society of Apothecaries took their craft further by establishing a chemical laboratory to produce and sell medicines to their colleagues. They also patrolled the streets of London to ensure drugs were not being adulterated.
By the 18th century, the roles of the apothecary, physician, and surgeon had become blurred. English apothecaries began to moonlight as general practitioners, prescribing, advising, and treating patients before doctors had a chance. This resulted in controversy, leading to changes in the apothecary profession and the development of healthcare in Britain that differed from other Western nations like France and the United States.
Apothecaries Across the Ages: England
Initially, English law enforced the medical profession's monopolies, but by the 18th century, the old hierarchy crumbled. The Rose Case of 1704 gave apothecaries the legal right to practice medicine, catapulting them into the role of general practitioners. Throughout the 18th century, apothecaries increasingly treated a variety of social classes, offering cheaper alternatives to expensive physician care.
By the 1800s, the apothecary's role had drastically changed. Focusing on the retail aspect of medicine had shifted to a separate group known as chemists and druggists. These entrepreneurial, educated professionals sold drugs to the public, filling the gap left by the evolution of the apothecary-GP.
Apothecaries Across the Ages: France
In France, the regulation and training within medical practice were centralized, leading to the development of the modern pharmacist. French pharmacists were responsible for both the manufacturing, dispensing, and sale of medicines and for offering health advice when needed. They were intensely regulated, with the state ensuring they were not selling adulterated products.
Apothecaries Across the Ages: United States
In the United States, medical regulation was less strict than in Europe. Apothecaries could practice any aspect of medicine that appealed to them, and the line between different medical professionals remained unclear. The lack of regulation continued in the 19th century, resulting in a wide range of irregular medical and pharmaceutical practitioners.
Inside the Pharmacy
In the mid-19th century, French pharmacists and British or American chemist-druggists operated much the same way. They prepared medicines for customers, sold ready-made goods, and might even have a laboratory on-site to mix their own concoctions.
Treating Disease in the 19th Century
In the 19th century, the prevailing view of disease challenged Classical theories of bodily humors, instead focusing on physical ailments and lesions. Treatment revolved around removing symptoms and restoring balance in the body, using stimulants to strengthen weak beings or depletives to calm overexcited ones.
Making Medicines in the 19th Century
Herbal remedies had been used in Europe since medieval times, with municipal authorities compiling pharmacopoeias in the 1500s. By the 19th century, chemistry played a leading role in drug production. Many drugs were isolated and purified, leading to advances in pharmacy and the separation of production from the druggist's shop. However, natural substances remained prevalent, and isolating synthetic chemicals was rare until the 1880s.
Apothecary Jars and Their Contents
Below are a few examples of what the shelves of a mid-19th century pharmacy might have looked like, showcasing the exotic and mysterious substances apothecaries worked with:
- Extractum Stramonium: A powerful narcotic with side effects ranging from vertigo to deadly convulsions, it was used for disorders of the nervous system.
- Potassium Bichromate: A caustic poison, it was used primarily against syphilis, inducing vomiting when disease was to be avoided.
- Folia Sennae: A mild cathartic used for dysentery and inflammatory cases, it could cause severe abdominal pain when overused.
- Semina Colchicum Autumnale: A potent medicine with serious side effects, it was used for treating gout and rheumatism.
Sources
- Making Medicines: A Brief History of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals
- Materia Medica for the Use of Students
- Le Medicament en Droit Public: sur le Paradigme Juridique de l'Apothicaire
- The Therapeutic Perspective: Medical Practice, Knowledge, and Identity in America, 1820-1885
- Given the historical context, it would be interesting to explore how the evolution of apothecaries in the economic history of health and wellness influenced the treatment of medical-conditions such as the nervous system disorders, gout, and rheumatism during the 19th century, using examples like Extractum Stramonium, Semina Colchicum Autumnale, and others.
- As science advanced during the 19th century, apothecaries saw shifts in their practices and roles, with chemicals playing a leading role in drug production. This transformation in pharmacy, coupled with the increasingly scientific understanding of medical-conditions and health-and-wellness, would be an intriguing topic for further research, focusing on the impact of these changes on the pharmaceutical industry and public health.
