Old English Patent Medicines in AmericaGriffenhagen, George B.
History
Old English Patent Medicines in America
Griffenhagen, George B.
Patent medicines
Later in the decade, the Salem apothecary, Jonathon Waldo, made a list
of "An assortment [of patent medicines] Usually Called For." The
imported brand of Turlington's Balsam, Waldo stated, was "very dear" at
36 shillings a dozen, adding that his "own" was worth but 15 shillings
for the same quantity. The English original of another nostrum, Essence
of Peppermint, he listed at 18 shillings a dozen, his own at a mere
10/6.[71] Despite the price differential, importations continued. A
Beverly, Massachusetts, druggist, Robert Rantoul, in 1799 ordered from
London filled boxes and bottles of Anderson's Pills, Bateman's Drops,
Steer's Opodeldoc, and Turlington's Balsam, along with the empty vials
in which to put British Oil and Essence of Peppermint.[72] For decades
thereafter the catalogs of wholesale drug firms continued to specify
two grades of various patent medicines for sale, termed "English" and
"American," "true" and "common," or "genuine" and "imitation."[73] This
had not been the case in patent medicine listings of 18th-century
catalogs.[74]
[71] Waldo, _op. cit._ (footnote 65).
[72] Robert Rantoul, Apothecary daybooks, 3 vols., Beverly,
Massachusetts [1796-1812]. Manuscript originals preserved in the
Beverly Historical Society. Also see Robert W. Lovett, "Squire
Rantoul and his drug store," _Bulletin of the Business Historical
Society_, June 1951, vol. 25, pp. 99-114.
[73] Joel and Jotham Post, _A catalogue of drugs, medicines &
chemicals, sold wholesale & retail, by Joel and Jotham Post,
druggists, corner of Wall and William-Streets_, New York, 1804;
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, _Catalogue of the materia
medica and of the pharmaceutical preparations, with the uniform
prices of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy_, Boston, 1828;
George W. Carpenter, _Essays on some of the most important
articles of the materia medica ... to which is added a catalogue
of medicines, surgical instruments, etc._, Philadelphia, 1834.
[74] John Dunlap, _Catalogus medicinarum et pharmacorum_,
Philadelphia, 1771; John Day, _Catalogue of drugs, chymical and
galenical preparations, shop furniture, patent medicines, and
surgical instruments sold by John Day and Company, druggists and
chymists in second-street_, Philadelphia, 1771; George
Griffenhagen, "The Day-Dunlap 1771 pharmaceutical catalog,"
_American Journal of Pharmacy_, September 1955, vol. 127, pp.
296-302; also _The New York Physician and American Medicine_, May
1956, vol. 46, pp. 42-44; Smith and Bartlett, _Catalogue of drugs
and medicines, instruments and utensils, dyestuffs, groceries,
and painters' colours, imported, prepared, and sold, by Smith and
Bartlett, at their druggists store and apothecaries shop_,
Boston, 1795.
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