Page 11 - Pharmacy History 32 July 2007

(Edward Wollaston continued from page 4)
and ‘Balm of Columbia.’ Beneath the ‘large globular bottle’ was what the versatile author terms a portable soda water font, encased in wicker, and accompanied by ‘a truss of new invention and a suspensory bandage of immemorial pattern.’ The back
of the window was embellished with a parterre of patent medicines in parti-coloured envelopes. Right at the back were displayed ‘real Havannahs’ in their yellow sashes, a square of ‘bird’s eye tobacco, and a display of pipes with amber mouthpieces,’ all apparently out of place, but justified by the usages of colonial trade.
His curiosity led him inside, ostensibly to indulge in the dissipation of a Seidlitz powder,
and was politely received by the proprietor. Obviously our forebears were as disgruntled with Melbourne’s climatic vagaries as are we of to-day, as the chatty pharmacist remarked:
‘Just in time to shelter from that cold shower, sir.. Strange country this, Sir; winter in the middle of summer, Sir.’
The conversation took place over
the counter, which consisted, of a nine-inch board covered with oilcloth and skirted with green baize. The
half of an old mahogany writing
case constituted a desk, and the shop ‘furniture’ comprised an egg cup of gum water with a feather, a small
End of series sale
Limited stock
pestle and mortar, a pair of box scales, a penny ball of thin twine, and a Lucifer matchbox. Communication with the living quarters at the rear was carried on through the medium of an auger hole. Having no ‘tincture of ginger’ on the premises, the druggist suggested a few drops of ‘United Vineyard,’ as a desirable adjunct to the Seidlitz draught.
He paid 10/ per week for the ‘shop,’ his prospects were fair, though menaced somewhat by the premature demise of the medical doctor of the Hill, who had ‘slipped through in delirium tremens’.
Here he displayed a written advertisement as follows:= ‘To be disposed of on moderate terms. The first-class Dublin diploma of the late Dr. T -r. Apply to his disconsolate widow at the old, surgery in the
tent next the European National Restaurant, Clarendon street, Emerald Hill.
In a praiseworthy effort to induce our informant to grasp the chance, he opined that ‘any smart man
with a smattering of Latin would make a fair average colonial doctor, as the country, being new, it was
not troubled with any dangerous variety of diseases beyond dysentery, ophthalmia, rheumatics, and a few of the secret type:
Now and then a bad lying-in case occurs, but, as the midwife is held responsible, the doctor need not be uneasy about the consequences : Further, ‘that there were several doctors and surgeons in and about Melbourne, in full practice, who never attended a lecture or smelt a subject, and more than one who compounded his own medicines, because he could not write a prescription.
‘He descanted seriously upon the quality of colonial drugs and chemicals (excepting his own stock), which he vividly described as having “crossed the line as often as he had fingers and thumbs-ships’ stores, the scrapings
of old medicine chests, quinine with
as much tonic property as arrowroot; blistering ointment as harmless
as Windsor soap, and everything
else equally deteriorated by age, adulteration and exposure.” Blessings on your shades, little chemist!
Your talkative mood on that May day of 1853 unwittingly provided 1933 with a captivating piece of history.
References
1. Australasian Journal of Pharmacy. Dec 30th 1933, pps 1110-1112.
2. Sharpe D, Sharpe K. Pharmacy Families. Henry Francis in Australia 1849-1999. BD Cossar Melbourne, 1999.
Traditional Apothecary Jars
Item Height
740/1 20cm
740/2 25cm 740/3 28cm 740/1/2/3
705 21cm 700 33cm 700/705
700/705/740 1/2/3
Origin/date
Holland/17c
Holland/17c Holland/17c
Holland/17c Holland/17c
Label Price (incl. GST)
Ung. $100 populeum
Fol. Sennae $130 Fol. Malvae $150 Set of 3 $350 Semen Lini $100 Sulf Depur $120 Set of 2 $200 Set of 5 $550
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