The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7267 p385
20 September 2003

Society summary

Museum's replica jars are all now available by mail order

The three replica jars commissioned by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's museum can all now be purchased by mail order. Following the success of mail order sales of leech jars, the service has been extended to the drug storage jars and syrup jars. All three jars are copies of original objects held in the museum’s collections. They are hand-finished and marked on the base with the Society’s name. Each jar is supplied with an information sheet providing details of the original jar and its contents.

The original leech jar (right) and a replica

The museum says that the original leech jar is a fine example of a 19th century glazed earthenware show jar for leeches. Blood letting was a universal practice among the ancient Greeks and Romans, and it continued through the centuries. By the 1700s, leeches were used by physicians and apothecaries instead of opening a vein. The replica leech jars are 15cm high and cost £50.

The original English dry drug jar was made in tin glazed earthenware and is of the type often described as “London” or even “Lambeth Delftware”. Many of the small potteries that made such jars were established along the south bank of the River Thames, close to where the Society’s headquarters stands. The original jar is rare in that its fine decoration is worked in a number of colours beside the basic blue. The inscription on the jar, “C: CORT: AUR”, is an abbreviation of the Latin “Conditus Cortex Aurantiorum”, meaning “candied orange peel”. This was used for flavour and as a mild stomachic, to warm and strengthen the stomach. The replica dry drug jars are 16cm high and cost £56, which is a significant saving on the previous price.

Replica dry drug jar

Replica syrup jar

The original syrup jar is also “Lambeth Delftware”. It is in the more traditional blue and white style of pots, directly influenced by Dutch designs. The jar is a fine, dated “wet” or “syrup” jar with a spout for pouring out its liquid contents. The inscription on the jar, “S:ROSAR:Cu: AG”, is an abbreviation of the Latin “Syrupus Rosaceus Solutivus cum Agarico”, meaning “solutive syrup of rose with agaric”. The preparation was used to treat a variety of conditions, including scurvy, and as an astringent. The replica syrup jars are 18cm high and cost £86. This also represents a significant saving on their previous price.

The jars are available by mail order direct from the museum. Full details and an order form can be accessed in the museum section of the Society’s website. Alternatively, orders can be placed by contacting the museum office (tel 020 7572 2210; e-mail museum@rpsgb.org.uk). The additional mail order postal charge within the United Kingdom is £22, which covers up to five leech or drug jars or two syrup jars. Further details of postage for Europe and the rest of the world is given on the order form or is available by contacting the museum.

The jars and other merchandise, including cards and books, can also be bought in person from the Library at the Society’s headquarters during normal working hours.