A concise historical sketch of the progress of pharmacy in Great Britain : from the time of its partial separation from the practice of medicine until the establishment of the Pharmaceutical society. Intended as an introduction to the Pharmaceutical journal / By Jacob Bell.
- Jacob Bell
- Date:
- 1843
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A concise historical sketch of the progress of pharmacy in Great Britain : from the time of its partial separation from the practice of medicine until the establishment of the Pharmaceutical society. Intended as an introduction to the Pharmaceutical journal / By Jacob Bell. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.
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!['tis a very good medicine ; I was forced to go as far as Harnpstead to pro- cure the chief ingredient of it.' ' What is it, then ?' said one of the learned. ' Why, gentlemen,' says the boy,' 'tis white dogs' ; I think you call it Album Graacum.' ' And what doth he do with this Album Graecum ?' ' Sir,' says the boy, ' he mixeth it with honey, and he gives it his patients, and cures them of then- sore throats.' In the Pharmacopoeia of 1721, many of the ridiculous reme- dies formerly in use were omitted; yet, this edition contains among the Materia Medica, a considerable number of substances which derived their reputation from superstition or prejudice, as, for instance, bees, earthworms, millepedes, vipers, album graecum, bezoar, calculi from the human bladder and from ox-galls, spiders' webs, usnea cranii hurnani, cranum hominis, stercus columbarum, &c. &c. Many of the formulae in this work appear to be constructed on the principle of a galvanic battery, as if the intensity of the effect had depended on the number of the ingredients. One formula, although not so complicated as some others, will serve to illustrate the state of Pharmacy at that period. Pulvis ad Guttetam. R Ead. Fraxinellse, Visci Quercus, Contrayervae, Serpentariee Virginianae, Poionioe maris, Seminis Pasoniae maris, Cornu Cervis calcinati, Ungulae Alcis, ana drachmas duas ; Ead. Valeriana? Silvestris. unciam; Carallii rubri, Cranii humanii, ana drachma tres; Lapidis Hyacinthi, drachmam unam; Bezoardice occidentalis, drachmam unam, et semiss, orientalis scrupulum. M. fiat pulvis : cui addi possunt Moschi grana quinque Folio- rum auri N° triginta. It was generally supposed by our ancestors that it was neces- sary to correct and modify the action of all medicines, by adding others of an opposite nature, and remedies were often classified as hot and cold remedies, a certain proportion of each class being combined, according to the preponderance on one side or the other, which was desired. In preparing chemical medicines, the process was frequently repeated; in some cases above twenty times, under the idea that the efficacy was thus increased or con- centrated. Mercurius Dulcis Sublimatus, was directed to be sublimed at least three times; if sublimed four or five times or oftener, it was called Calomel, but not otherwise. Vessels were also sometimes used for distillation which were so constructed that the contents of the receiver might easily be thrown back into the retort, without breaking the connexion, by which means the process might be continued and repeated ad infinitum. A very slight inspection of the Pharmacopoeia of 1746, is suf- ficient to show, that it is, in every respect, a great improvement upon that which preceded it in 172]. This amelioration is, perhaps, in hardly any respect more evident than in the number and nature of the syrups—they are reduced from forty to](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2151026x_0025.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
