Apothecaries sold medicines, drugs, oils, perfumes, preserves, and sweets. They provided medical advice and prepared drugs.
Evolution of Apothecaries
Modern apothecaries are independent pharmacies. They offer compounding, immunizations, natural products, over-the-counter items, medication consultation, and delivery.
Before modern medicine, apothecaries performed duties of general physicians, surgeons, physiatrists, dentists, obstetricians, optometrists, and more.
The difference between apothecary and pharmacy is an apothecary is a person and pharmacy is a location. Another word for apothecary is pharmacist.
Apothecaries used herbs to make pain relievers, vomit inducers, fever and inflammation reducers. Commonly used items were bergamot and lavender.
In Romeo and Juliet, the apothecary sold poison. Selling lethal poisons was illegal in Verona and punishable by death.
Colonial Apothecaries
What did a colonial apothecary do? A colonial apothecary practiced as doctor. They treated patients, made and prescribed medicines, made house calls, and taught apprentices. Some even performed surgeries.
Tools and Ingredients
What tools did a colonial apothecary use? An apothecary usually made medicines by grinding herbs and other substances in a mortar and pestle. Apothecary tools included:
- Scales
- Mortar and pestles
- Surgical equipment
- Herbs and jars
What ingredients did apothecaries use? They made pills from dried herbs bound with honey and created topical ointments, teas, and concentrated liquids using specialized tools.
Health Issues and Solutions
What kind of diseases were common in colonial times? Cholera was prominent, spread by drinking contaminated water or shallow graves dug up by animals. Illnesses were treated by bloodletting, purges, and herbal remedies.
In Italy, apothecaries served a range of patrons from patients to doctors to painters for whom they made pigments. They were more than just early pharmacists, as in medieval times, people sourced medicine from monasteries, gathered their own herbs, or visited apothecary shops.