Prims By the Water

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Apothecaries



Is it Thursday already!?
Yep it is.
Where has the week gone?
Well for me it has been going to work each day,
then spending a few more hours at our new store.
Things are going well, so am very grateful.


Today I would like to share a bit
of history on apothecaries.

Apothecary was a term for a medical professional
who dispensed medicine. Apothecaries were
the earliest form of a pharmacy.
 These early pharmacists investigated
into the healing properties of herbs and medicine
to dispense to physicians and surgeons
of the time. You might say they were our
early chemists.


In addition to dispensing herbs and medicine,
apothecaries provided vital information
to both physicians and surgeons as well as
patients who frequented them.

Apothecary as a profession dates back to early
Babylon days of 2600 BC and has recorded
over 700 different drugs available at that time.
Those are amazing numbers for a time when
medicine was not as advanced as it is today. 


Apothecaries used pottery, glass and wood
to hold their herbs and medicines.
Aromatherapy was also considered 
a treatment back in the day.
Chamomile, fennel, mint, with hazel,
along with catnip were used. Also used were
animal fats, urine, saliva, earwax to name
a few...which is now considered unsanitary
and basically non-effective.

My apothecaries are glass and wood.
The first picture is one which has a glass stopper.
The second picture is my wood one.
The third one has a tin lid.

If you also noticed my lil sheep...
it references that here in Michigan,
March came in like a lamb.
Hopefully it will go out that way too!

Apothecary Blessings To All!
Janice

14 comments:

  1. Yet another similarity between us - I love apothecary jars! From childhood, I've been mesmerized by things in glass...teehee. Also, March came in like a lamb here as well. Yes, where has the week gone!

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    1. Holy cow we sure must be sisters from another mother. :-) If we ever come out to Wisconsin would surely like to meet you. Hope you are having a great weekend my friend! Janice

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  2. My great grandfather was a confectioner and he made lozenges for apothecaries. I have his recipe book with his recipe for opium lozenges. No, I haven't made them! But I love it in his fountain-pen scrawl.

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    1. How amazing and wonderful that your grandfather did this. I so love hearing about history. Thanks for telling me about this. My dad told me that when they first made Coke it contained Opium in it as well. Janice

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  3. I have a few glass bottles that were apothecaries
    Cathy

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    1. So nice to hear other have these bottles. They are so cool looking! Janice

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  4. Same in Ohio...and like you I hope it goes out the same :)

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    1. Yep love hearing the birds chirping in the morning now. Even saw some mating this morning. Spring is surely around the corer. YIPEE! Janice

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  5. I am glad Dicky Bird remembered how March came in, because I have no clue....I can't even remember Thursday when you posted this, much less March 1st LOL. I love apothecary containers...and the whole history of it. I have always been fascinated with herbal remedies and the healing properties of plants, so it's a natural fit. ~Robin~

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    1. I wish I had some of the old recipes to the plants that grow in our area. The old timers knew what to do and most were healthy. Janice

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  6. Replies
    1. Thanks Janet. Hope your weekend is going good for you! Janice

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