The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7350 p613
21 May 2005

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· History of pharmacy

Letters to the Editor

History of pharmacy

Oh to be a pharmacist again!

From Mr M. H. Munro

I have recently started to reread my favourite book ‘Old Saint Paul’s’ by William Harrison Ainsworth. It is about the plague and fire of London in 1665 and 1666. The following are mentioned as prophylactics or therapeutics for “the dreaded pestilence”:

· Rue, wormwood, sage — as a drink
· Wax, angelica, camphor — made into a ball to be held in the hand
· Virginian snake root (zedoary) — to be chewed
· Dried toad — to be suspended round the neck
· Aqua epidemica — as a drink (plague water of Matthias)
· Canary and spirits of sulphur — as a posset drink
· Mallows, lily roots, figs, linseed and palm oil — as a poultice
· Citron peel, angelica seed, zedoary, yellow saunders, aloes, benzoin, camphor and gum tragacanth, moistened with spirit of roses — in a pomander box
· Angelica, liquorice, flower of sulphur, myrrh, oil of cinnamon — as lozenges
· Bole-armoniac, hartshorn shavings, saffron and syrup of wood sorrel — as an electuary
· Aqua theriacalis stillatitia, distilled treacle water —in a phial
· Manus Christi — as a powder
· Salt of vipers
· Unicorn’s horn
· Oil of scorpions from Naples
· Dragon water

Oh to be a pharmacist again!

Michael Munro
Tunbridge Wells, Kent

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