Five prescription books remain, the four oldest cover
the period 1866 - 1926. They are fascinating for the insight they
give into the range of ailments treated - some very familiar, others
faintly bizarre - and the methods of treatment. Similarly many
of the ingredients used at the turn of the century are still in
use today while others sound positively detrimental to long term
health.What becomes obvious in a careful study of these books is
that a chemist of 100 years ago not only dispensed but actually
created many of the pills and powders, creams and lotions which
he sold over the counter. In this way he was a true chemist, mixing
together measured quantities under specific conditions to create
his, often proprietory, wares; not only catering for medical complaints
but also for cosmetics, household and industrial applications.
In the 1860s. for instance, we find a wonderful recipe for "Miss
Powell's Chinese Perfume" - a fine concoction of essences
and oils which was "to be let stand 21 days shaking frequently
and decant or filtered". Also one for tooth powder - again
for Miss Powell and a very interesting "Eau Sedative" which
is said to "render the skin soft and firm, in defiance of
wrinkles". An unusual chlorine mixture recipe is given as
a preventative against scarlet fever but more usually the prescriptions
deal with much more common complaints, prescribing chilblain ointments,
drops for the eyes and ears, tincture for the gums, heart medicine,
and any number of scripts for cough medicine and liniment.
Apart
from medications there were also cosmetic recipes for hair lotion
and hair wash - one labelled "Dr Erasmus Wilson's Hair
Wash" which, priced at 1/11 in the 1860's, has a pencilled
annotation by WP Lawrence "Too cheap ought to be 2/-" (12
old pennies to 1 shilling (1/-) which is equal to 5 new pence!).
Other recipes for non-medicinal purposes include a "Teetotallers
Brandy", something for the "french polisher", a
floor stain, blood mixture "for leather"?, fireworks,
a composition for a copying machine and for the ink to be used
with it, for burning letters into a dog collar, brass liquid, gun
barrel browning, savoury seasoning, paste for removing stains,
photographic development solutions, varnish, ginger wine (non-alcoholic),
etc., etc.
The Lawrence family gave its name to some products such
as "Lawrence's
Corn & Wart Eradicator" and "Lawrence's
Liniment"
Many prescriptions were labelled "Poison" and "For
external application only" and even for some of those that
weren't it would probably have been wise, with hindsight, to follow
this advice! Some ingredients used at this time: Spiritus Chloroform,
Acidi Tarnici, Ext. Belladonna, Syrupi Papaveris, Glycerina, Magnesia,
Acid Hydrocyan dil., Acid Sulph. dil., Tinct. Myrrh, Barbados Tar,
Tartaric Acid, Extract of Lead, Black Antimony, Powdered Rhubarb,
Tincture of Opium, Epsom Salts, any number of oils - rosemary,
nutmeg, lavender, olivae, etc. , Liq. Arsenic, Eau de Cologne,
Laudanum, Creosote, Turmeric, Gum Arabic, Turpentine, Saffron -
could be used in anything from leather polish to a back rub.
Some
of the ways in which treatments were to be administered:
- A sixth part to be taken after every evacuation
- To be applied to the inside of the throat twice daily
- The pills should be taken early to-morrow morning & in
four hours after take one half of the Draught. If the bowels
should not be freely moved in two hours afterwards, take the
remaining half of the Draught
- Linen clothes wet with this lotion to be kept constantly on
the part affected. Cover the wet linen with Oil & Silk
- Gargle your mouth night and morning with a little of this Gargle
- To be painted on the knee. Large camels' hair brush
- To be taken twice daily in a tumbler of Ginger Beer
- The powder to be laid on the tongue and swallowed directly
- One to be dissolved in half a pint of drinking water and drunk
at pleasure
- Linctus. As much as would lie on a sixpence to be put on the
tongue three times a day (for a baby)
- A teaspoonful to be rubbed onto the front of the chest this
afternoon, this evening and to-morrow morning until an eruption
is produced
- Take one teaspoonful three times daily, one hour before meals,
in a cupful of Linseed tea
- Lotion for the hair to be applied with a small sponge
- One to be taken between bread and butter with each meal
- A tablespoonful to be taken with two tablespoonfuls of brandy
or whisky and a little hot water
- To be given with a pint of hot ale or gruel
- A small piece inside the lower eyelid
- To a wineglassful of soft water add a teaspoonful of this bottle.
Every night put the feet into a bran mash as hot as can be borne,
then wipe without washing, dab a quantity of the lotion made
warm and during frosty weather sleep in a very thin pair of cotton
socks (for sweaty feet!)
- A teaspoonful to be held in the mouth for a few minutes, 5
or 6 times a day (but did one swallow?!?)
- Make a poultice of old bread with this lotion and apply to
the eye
and so on.
One gets a fairly good idea of the most common
ailments,
and many remain common today - influenza, breathing difficulties
(asthma is occasionally specifically mentioned), headache, coughs,
tonsils, bronchitis, diarrhoea, indigestion, eczema, heartburn,
sickness, dandruff, acne, rheumatism, etc. with some odder ailments
thrown in - goitre, blotches, perspiration, spasm, want of appetite,
monomania, ulcerated throat, heat of body, elephantiasis, overindulgence
in alcohol.
The chemist also had a thriving trade in medication
for animals:
calf appetizing powder "Give a large tablespoonful
once a day, mash gruel or milk with treacle", horse powder,
drink for cows, lotion for charabanc horses, cooling powders for
horse, lotion for saddle crush on horse, recipe for poultry tonic,
recipe for canary (asthma), stopping for horses feet against snow,
lotion for grey horse's leg, tonic for a horse "a teaspoonful
once or twice a day (in a wine bottle)", recipe for horse
embrocation, tonic for mare recently foaled - poor condition, iron
powders for horses, and so on.
Many people of the town were named
on their prescriptions, the Lascelles family patronised the shop
as it seems did many of the well-to-do - there are numerous prescriptions
for so-and-so's maid or butler - and Miss Hill from Fort Montague
(The
House in the Rock) is mentioned in 1896. The shop did not,
however, serve only the immediate locality. There are records of
correspondence with other counties as well as London (Harley Street
in one instance) and as far afield as Williamstown, Australia.
Finally, not only were ingredients combined to create medicines,
lotions etc. but the chemist's traditional analytic function might
also be required. Thus in 1891 we find a detailed analysis of the
Dropping Well water by Mr Augustus Holdick, probably in an attempt
to discover what causes the petrifying effect. He concludes that "The
Magnesia exists as Carbonate not as Sulphate and the Sodium exists
as Chloride and not as Carbonate". Visitor information for
the Dropping Well can be found at Mother
Shipton's Cave and the Petrifying Well
