Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
November,  1905.  J 
Henry  N.  Rittenhonse. 
521 
The  early  youth  of  the  son  was  spent  on  a  farm  near  Norristown, 
Montgomery  County,  Pa.  As  is  generally  the  case  with  those  on 
the  farm,  his  opportunities  for  attending  school  were  limited,  but 
having  a  strong  desire  to  learn  and  being  possessed  of  an  indomita- 
ble will,  it  is  not  surprising,  as  he  grew  older,  he  made  opportu- 
nities for  himself,  profiting  accordingly.  When  about  twelve  years 
of  age  he  returned  to  Philadelphia  and  entered  the  employ  of 
Homer  &  Colladay,  a  dry-goods  firm,  as  errand  boy.  While  still  in 
their  employ,  Dr.  Wynkoop,  a  druggist,  whose  store  was  located  at 
Thirteenth  and  Lombard  Streets,  took  him ;  but  being  anxious  to 
see  the  boy  advance,  thought  it  would  promote  his  welfare  to  trans- 
fer him  to  Edward  Parrish,  which  was  accordingly  done.  Later  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  Wm.  Hodgson,  Jr.,  one  of  the  most  accomplished 
apothecaries  of  our  city,  where  he  learned  the  drug  business,  and  in 
185 1  entered  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy,  graduating  in 
1854.  From  this  date  he  carried  on  the  retail  drug  business  in  Phila- 
delphia until  August  13,  1 862,  when  he  received  his  appointment  as 
Medical  Store-keeper,  with  the  rank  of  Captain  in  the  United  States 
Army,  with  headquarters  at  Cincinnati,  O.,  in  which  office  he  re- 
mained until  his  resignation  in  February,  1865,  when  he  again  took 
up  the  drug  business,  being  admitted  to  the  firm  of  Parrish  &  Mellor 
in  June  of  the  same  year. 
During  the  early  part  of  the  Civil  War  he  made  the  acquaintance 
of  Mr.  Alfred  Mellor,  they  both  being  interested  in  making  collo- 
dion, used  in  the  manufacture  of  a  ball  cartridge  for  the  United 
States  Government.  After  an  interval  of  two  years  with  Messrs. 
Parrish  &  Mellor  he  entered  into  partnership  in  1867  with  Mr. 
Alfred  Mellor  under  the  firm  name  of  Mellor  &  Rittenhouse,  with 
their  laboratory  at  816  Filbert  Street,  Philadelphia.  The  general 
business  of  the  firm  was  the  manufacture  of  pharmaceutical  extracts 
and  preparations.  From  their  knowledge  of  the  requirements  of 
the  trade  it  occurred  to  them  that  an  extract  of  licorice  made  in 
this  country  might  be  a  desirable  addition  to  their  list.  The  intro- 
duction of  this  preparation,  though  requiring  considerable  effort  and 
time,  was  persevered  in  until  finally,  its  success  assured,  other  prepa- 
rations were  abandoned,  and  better  quarters  and  machinery  being 
required,  a  location  was  secured  at  218  North  Twenty-second 
Street,  where  for  a  number  of  years  the  manufacture  of  extract  of 
licorice  was  the  sole  business.    The  business  still  increasing,  the 
