Page 11 - Pharmacy History 32 July 2007

Words with a Religious connotation included ‘BISHOPGATE’, which was widely used by independently owned pharmacies ‘CUMBERLAND’ was also popular.
In New Zealand the code word was ‘VINUM ALOES’
Big companies like Selfridges used ‘AVEK PRO SIT’, and so the list goes on.
The last laugh probably goes to the Automotive Retailer, York Motors in
Sydney. His code word was ‘OUR PAYMENT’
When the use of coded pricing was at its peak, another even more widely accepted practice among pharmacists and doctors was to use a lot of abbreviated Latin, particularly for the directions of use.
Some doctors who had a close working relationship with a pharmacist (channelling?) would write prescriptions in a private code
or prescribe treatments such as ‘ADT OINTMENT’ which simply meant ‘any damn thing’.
Before the advent of the dispensary computer, ‘NP’ Nomen Proprium) was an accepted way for a prescriber to request the proprietary name to be written on the label.
Further Reading
The Pharmaceutical Journal (UK) Vol 263, Dec 18/25 1999.
With special thanks to
Peter Lynch, Pharmacist NSW, Doug Ramsay NSW and Alan Russell SA, (who can all remember those days!)
Editor’s Note,
As more research about the origin of ANTOMSULPH is required, any further correspondence on this question will be welcomed.
Example: $2.50 = n.mh
1234567890 ANTOMSULPH CUMBERLAND BISHOPGATE MYBIGTOESX
End of series sale
Limited stock
Traditional Apothecary Jars
Item
Height Origin/date
Label
Price (incl. GST)
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
Holland/17c
Holland/17c Holland/17c
Holland/17c Holland/17c
Ung. $100 populeum
Fol. Sennae $130 Fol. Malvae $150 Setof3 $350 Semen Lini $100 Sulf Depur $120 Setof2 $200 Setof5 $550
To order, please go to our website at: http://www.psa.org.au/books or fax orders to PSA on (02) 6285 2869.