November 12, 1870.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
381 
HOSPITAL PHARMACY 120 YEARS AGO. 
A most interesting account of the early history 
and practice of St. Thomas’s Hospital is given by 
Dr. W. H. Stone in the first volume of a new series 
of the Reports of that Hospital just published. The 
facts are obtained from several different sources, and 
amongst others a most quaintly written book, which 
emanated from the shop of one “E.Duncomb, in 
Duck Lane, Little Britain,” in 1741, and bears the 
title of ‘ The Physical Yade Mecum, or Fifth Gift of 
Theopliilus Pliilantliropos; wherein is contained the 
Dispensatory of St. Thomas’s Hospital, with a cata¬ 
logue of the Diseases, and the nature of their cure, 
prescribed in the said Hospital; ’ a book peculiarly 
interesting to pharmaceutists, as showing how unex¬ 
pectedly great has been the progress of the science 
they cultivate within the space of a single century. 
Dr. Stone tells us that the frontispiece portrays a 
fourfold conversation which is being carried on be¬ 
tween the Patient and Doctor, Death and the Deity. 
A coffin and a skeleton in the foreground serve as 
emblems of mortality, and the doctor, after seeking 
the Divine assistance, is represented as having pro¬ 
duced the following prescription, which is written on 
a scroll in his hand :— 
“ From infection sprung, it is a fever strong, 
Unless with present speed a vein be open, 
Thou must die or bleed. 
VS ad Six statim, 
Episp. Nuclice quam primum. 
Bol. Alex. 9j cum 
Nitri. gr. xij, 6ta quaque liora sumend. 
Jul. Card.” 
The author of the work says of himself, that 
“ whether ever it will fall to my"lot to be much con¬ 
cerned in the curative or practical part of this Art I 
at present know not; and can’t think upon it but with 
some kind of Anxiety or Fear! yet since God put it 
into my mind, and inclined my heart towards ob¬ 
taining knowledge thereof, I have not been idle, as 
tho I hoped to receive it by Revelation, or might 
obtain the Art of Healing by Inspiration; but on 
the contrary, have used what industry and diligence 
I could in acquiring the previous knowledge needful 
hereto; and after some years attending the Academy 
of Liberal Arts and Sciences under the most Learned, 
Worthy, and Pious Professor Eames ; various courses 
of Anatomy by the Incomparable Dr. Nicliolls, Pro¬ 
fessor of Anatomy at Oxford, and of Chemistry by 
the Ingenious Dr. Pemberton, Professor of Physic 
at Gresham College, I entered myself Physician’s 
pupil at St. Thomas’ Hospital on the 2nd March, 
1728, in order to acquire the Practical Art of Phy- 
fk- This estimable gentleman attended regularly 
the “Apothecaries’ shop, which is a very neat, pretty 
place, well stored with medicine; besides which, it 
is ornamented by the Apothecary, who is a very Ju¬ 
dicious, Prudent, Curious, and Ingenious Gentleman, 
by a Museum or Cabinet of various curiosities, and 
a large handsome framed skeleton, without Decora- 
tions and Ornaments.” The actual pharmacopoeia 
ox the hospital w r as, at the time our author published 
k°°k, ma de up of a printed work bearing date 
He, and various old manuscripts, and the reme¬ 
dies used were, some of them, as follows 
Aqua Limacum, or Snail Water. 
Third Series, No. 20. 
Directed to be thus made :— 
Garden Snails, cleansed and bruised, 6 gallons. 
Earthworms, washed and bruised, 3 gallons. 
Common 'Wormwood, Ground Ivy and Car- 
duus, each 4 lb. 
Pennyroyal, Juniper Berries, Fennel Seeds, 
Aniseed, each 1± lb. 
Cloves and Cubebs, bruised, each 3 oz. 
Spirit of Wine and Spring Water, each 8 gal- 
1 x u 7 vj 
Ions. 
Digest together for twenty-four hours and draw off 
in a common alembick. This compound w r as said ta 
be “well-contrived for cheapness and efficacy, and 
for persons whose circumstances and manner of 
living have not habituated them to any delicacies, 
it is as good a snail-water as can be made.” How 
the fashions have changed ! 
Salivation u T as the very commonest practice, the 
calomel bolus containing 20 grains for a dose, “ the 
common bole for salivation.” Another bolus, “the 
Turbith,” contained 5 grains of calomel and 3 of 
tartar emetic. There is a significant “ N.B.” ap¬ 
pended to this last prescription that “in the working 
of tliis vomit it is needful to drink plentifully of 
Carduus Tea, through defect of which I knew one 
that Died.” Marvellous must have been the effect of 
the “Viperian Bolus,” which contained 5ss of the 
Flesh of Vipers in powder, the dose being two boluses 
a day. Viper’s flesh, with opium in addition, w r ere 
the chief ingredients of the “ Venice Treacle,” or 
Andromachus’s electuary. But this was almost 
surpassed in delicacy by the “ Expressio Millepedum,” 
or expression of woodlice, made of three ounces of 
lice in spirit and water. Several well-known names oc¬ 
cur, Pilulie Cocke Majores and Minores ; Matthews; 
Rudius’ and Ruffy’s, or the Common Pill. The ex¬ 
tent to which salivation was pushed may readily be 
gathered from the statement that “ Some spit plenti¬ 
fully, viz. 5, G, or 7 pints in 24 hours; with others 
it passes off more by sweat and urine than by mouth; 
which things must be observed with regard to the 
Patient’s Welfare.” 
There appears to have been a special “powder for 
diseased eyes, made of glass what quantity you 
please,” well pounded. It was used to “ clear the 
eye of specs wliicli cloud the sight by blowing thro’ 
a Quill some of the powder upon the Parts affected, 
though it is not often used.” A favourite diuretic 
was the tinctura Veneris of Boerhaave; it used, ac¬ 
cording to all accounts, to work wonders. Our 
author found that by its aid he cured one case of 
dropsy completely; “ and a prodigious Discharge of 
Urine being excited, that it ran as out of an open 
Cock, upon which the Integuments of the abdomen 
became so loose that they might be wrapt over one 
another. The Patient grew perfectly well, and en¬ 
joyed a good state of Health many years after.” 
Dr. Stone declares the following to be the gem of 
the whole collection. It is described as a “ good 
medicine,” and directions were given that if the dose 
be too noisome, it may be lessened and repeated the 
oftener.” Here it is: Take of fresh Horse Dung 
3yj; Penniroyal water ^xij ; Treacle water £iv. In¬ 
fuse them warm, and to the strained Liquor add 
Mitlnidate ^ij ; White Sugar, a sufficient quantity 
to sweeten it: drink half a Pint twice a day. Dr. 
Stone exclaims, Can we wonder at reactionary move¬ 
ments in favour of infinitesimal doses ? What has 
often surprised us is the fact that the sick and suf- 
