Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 1 (of 2)Wootton, A. C.
History
Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Wootton, A. C.
Pharmacy -- History
In Charles II’s reign Mouffet speaks of Bucklersbury being replete with
physic, drugs, and spicery, and says it was so perfumed at the time of
the plague with the pounding of spices, melting of gums, and making of
perfumes, that it escaped that great plague. A quotation from Pennant
in Cassell’s “Old and New London” shows that in the reign of William
III Bucklersbury was the resort of ladies of fashion to purchase teas,
furs, and other Indian goods; and the king is said to have been angry
with the queen for visiting these shops, which appear from some lines
of Prior to have been sometimes perverted to places of intrigue.
The street acquired its name from a family called the Bokerells or
Buckerells, who lived there in the thirteenth century. Stow gives a
different account. He states that there was a tower in the street named
Carnet’s Tower, and that a grocery named Buckle who had acquired it
was assisting in pulling it down, intending to erect a goodly frame of
timber in its place, when a part fell on him, which so sore bruised him
that it shortened his life.
A CHEMIST’S ADVERTISEMENT IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
A London chemist’s advertisement (about 1680-1690) runs thus:--
“Ambrose Godfrey Hanckwitz, chemist in London, Southampton Street,
Covent Garden, continues faithfully to prepare all sorts of remedies,
chemical and galenical. He hopes that his friends will continue their
favours. Good cordials can be procured at his establishment, as well as
Royal English drops, and other articles such as Powders of Kent, Zell,
and Contrajerva, Cordial red powder, Gaskoins powder, with and without
bezoar, English smelling salts, true Glauber’s salt, Epsom salt, and
volatile salt of ammonia, stronger than the former. Human skull and
hartshorn, essence of Ambergris, volatile essence of lavender, musk
and citron, essence of viper, essence for the hair, vulnerary balsam,
commendeur, balsam for apoplexy, red spirit of purgative cochliaria,
spirit of white cochliaria, and others. Honey water, lavender water of
two kinds, Queen of Hungary water, orange flower water, arquebusade.
“For the information of the curious, he is the only one in London
who makes inflammable phosphorus, which can be preserved in water.
Phosphorus of Bolognian stone, flowers of phosphorus, black phosphorus,
and that made with acid oil, and other varieties. All unadulterated.
Every description of good drugs he sells, wholesale and retail.
“Solid phosphorus, wholesale, 50s. an ounce, and retail, £3 sterling,
the ounce.”
THE ENGLISH APOTHECARIES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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