Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 1 (of 2)Wootton, A. C.
History
Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Wootton, A. C.
Pharmacy -- History
The edict referred to mentions “apotheca,” meaning thereby only the
warehouses where prepared medicines were stored. Those who compounded
the medicines were termed “confectionarii,” the places or shops where
they were sold were called “stationes,” and the persons who supplied
them, “stationarii.” It is not quite clear whether the confectionarii
and the stationarii were the same persons. Probably they were
sometimes, but not necessarily always. Apparently the stationarii
were generally the drug importers and dealers, and the confectionarii
were the compounders. Both had to be licensed by the Medical School
of Salerno; and among the duties imposed upon the physician, one
was to inform the authorities if he came to discover that any
“confectionarius” had falsified medicines. Longfellow alludes to this
provision in the “Golden Legend”--
To report if any confectionarius
Mingles his drugs with matters various.
The physician was strictly forbidden to enter into any arrangement
with a druggist whereby he would derive any profit by the sale of
medicaments, and he was not permitted himself to conduct a pharmacy.
The “confectioners” were required to take an oath to prepare all
medicines according to the Antidotary of the Salernian School. Their
profits were limited and graduated, less being allowed on those of
frequent consumption than on those which they had to keep for more
than a year. Pharmacies were only allowed in the principal cities,
and in each such city two notable master-apothecaries were appointed
to supervise them. The “confectioners” had to make their syrups
and electuaries and other compounds in the presence of these two
inspectors, and if they were detected in any attempt at fraud their
property was subject to confiscation. If one of the inspectors was
found to have been a party to the fraud his punishment was death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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