Page 5 - Pharmacy History 29 July 2006

(Cont. from page 4)
products, and in the 1915 Australasian Trade journal a ‘hint’ was given to install ‘shallow glass table cases for serving the drinks, said to produce a prompt increase in sales of perfumery and toilet articles... women sitting for their drink naturally look at the goods displayed...’
Not all shops were fitted out in the style and high quality I have mentioned above. In the 1920’s period the original owner of Remuera Pharmacy, Mr FG Blott kept a very lean stock level. If a person requested an item he didn’t have in stock, he would tell the customer to come back later
in the day when he’d prepared it, then phone Kempthorne Prosser (the supplier in central Auckland) and have them put it onto the Remuera tram, and it would be delivered to the shop by the tram motorman.
During WWI an irreversible change occurred in the staffing of the chemist shop: Formerly a male preserve, now we had ‘The Exit of the Male Assistant and the Entrance of Girl Cheap Labour’, quoted the Chemist and Druggist magazine. ‘The masters have discovered that girls can do the work for 1/6th of the pay, and naturally they are employing the cheaper labour, _ _ _. Girls are taking the male-assistant places. _ _ _ ‘7 in one shop, 4 in another, 3 in another etc.’ Undoubtedly this correspondent’s concerns proved real.
The Crusaders in Super
14, and ‘Speedy Oil’
My research has identified many very interesting characters in pharmacy some became identities in their own areas,
or further afield. Recently I was given the recipe book for Oddie’s Pharmacy, Timaru (established 1886), which contains hand written or typed formulae for medicines. One such recipe was ‘Speedy Oil’ which had been a well kept secret for years. It was a mixture made up annually for the 1st XV of Timaru Boys High, when they played rugby against Waitaki Boys High. There was a great ritual in applying this performance enhancer prior to the game, and when Oddie’s shop shut, the recipe was divulged to the school, Timaru Boys of course. With the outstanding success of recipe has been passed through to this best known Cantabarian team.
More on the darker and nefarious side
of pharmacy practice have been the reputations of certain pharmacies known for their ability to procure abortions. Alongside this practice was a pill produced by a pharmacy opposite The Town
Hall, Auckland and advertised on the shop window as ‘Retfa Pills.’ (‘After’ spelt backwards.) Used for supposedly preventing a pregnancy ‘after’ the event...
Frank Reed (brother of publisher A.H Reed) was a Whangarei pharmacist that has left his name and memory associated with the extensive world recognized collection of 1st edition books of Alexandre Dumas, donated to the special collections section of the Auckland Public Library.
Ripples across the Tasman, Boots look ‘down-under’
A major impact that occurred for the main street pharmacies was the arrival of the cut-price Boots Chemists in 1936. Their size and volume can be determined by the fact that in 1955 they employed
in their Queen Street, Auckland shop 11 pharmacists in their dispensary and drug department. To quote from a former Boot’s pharmacist from his experiences in the 1950’s. ‘I received a crash course in dispensing, with rarely any checking of my effort. The unpopularity of Boots in the city pharmacy scene meant that some other pharmacies would ‘duck-shove’ unwanted, difficult prescriptions to us, and on many occasions found ourselves making batches of pills, individually folded powders, fresh infusions, as well
as vast numbers of hand-made capsules and suppositories. We were all equipped for this with Bunsen burner, two pill machines, infusion pot, and even a cachet making contrivance, which I never saw used. Sometimes the equipment would be used for other purposes, such as chocolates made in the suppository/pessary moulds, and our senior apprentice had a recipe for a beautiful liqueur, using now-forgotten ingredients.’
Earthquake Disaster
I would like now to mention a natural disaster of huge magnitude in the industry that occurred on the 6th February 1931. New Zealand has just
commemorated the 75th Anniversary of the Hawke’s Bay earthquake. Chemists featured large in the destruction they sustained from the direct effect of the earthquake. However, the damage
that emanated from their premises
was greater through the smashing of bottles of inflammable liquids thrown from the shelves onto the open flame
of the dispensary Bunsen burner. These substances quickly ignited and in 3 instances it is known that chemist shops started fires that spread through the area. Pre-earthquake in 1931 there were 7 pharmacies in Napier and 4 pharmacies in Hastings. Six out of 7 in Napier were destroyed, and all 4 in Hastings were razed to the ground, a massive loss for the area of 10 out of the 11 pharmacies. Gordon Grant pharmacist of Hastings died a few days after the quake from mortal injuries sustained.
To conclude, by the beginning of the post WW2 economic boom, many of the older business practices and traditional shop layouts had given way to more open plan merchandising and dispensing, and the amount of hand making of medicines was very limited. Medicines, equipment and manufacturing supply have come a long way since the 1880 Pharmacy Act. However the pharmacist still interacts and impacts heavily on the community and society with their pharmacy knowledge and street-level health care that was
and still is being provided at a high professional level.
Terry Sutcliffe, terenily@gmail.com
Editor’s Note
Terry has established a private
pharmacy Museum and Archive
at his home in a small dedicated building. Any fellow Academy member visiting Auckland is welcome to contact him to arrange a visit and share a mutual interest.
volume 3 ■ no 29 ■ JULY 2006
Pharmacy History Australia ■ 5