THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
FEBRUARY,  1880. 
The  APOTHECARY'S  APPRENTICE  FIFTY  YEARS  AGO. 
By  Robert  Shoemaker. 
Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  January  20. 
It  was  in  the  year  1831  the  writer  entered  one  of  the  best  known 
apothecary  "  shops  "  (so-called  then) — at  that  day — in  this  city,  as  an 
apprentice.  Looking  back  to  that  time,  and  comparing  the  duties  of 
the  apprentice  then  with  what  they  are  now,  one  almost  wishes  he  had 
been  born  50  years  later.  The  store  was  large  for  that  day,  situated  on 
the  corner  of  two  of  our  principal  streets,  having  three  large  "  bulk 
windows — with  a  show  bottle  for  each  pane  of  glass,  making  24  bot- 
tles to  each  window. 
The  morning  work  began  with  taking  down  the  shutters  from  these 
windows  and  two  double  doors,  making  the  fire  (if  in  cold  weather), 
sweeping  the  store,  cleaning  and  filling,  with  sperm  oil  (no  gas  in  those 
days),  a  number  of  lamps,  which  were  suspended  from  the  ceiling. 
The  shop  was  opened  at  6  o'clock  A.  M.  the  year  round,  and  this 
daily  routine  of  work  was  to  be  finished  before  breakfast. 
After  breakfast  (the  work  having  been  laid  out  the  day  before) 
began  the  preparation  of  medicines — as  powdering  (for,  with  a  single 
exception,  every  powder  was  prepared  by  ourselves),  the  preparation  of 
tinctures,  pills,  ointment,  etc.  Gum  nipples  were  unknown  then — - 
heifer's  teats  trimmed  out  (and  preserved  in  alcohol  until  wanted),  tied 
over  the  mouth  of  an  8  ounce  bottle,  constituted  the  nursing  bottle  of 
the  time.  These  were  prepared  in  quantities  for  our  own  sale  and  for 
other  apothecaries  ;  how  well  I  remember  the  bottle  containing  them 
standing  right  by  the  side  of  another  containing  clyster  pipes — these  to 
be  attached  to  a  bladder  when  required  for  use. 
Thanks  to  Goodyear  for  the  abolishment  of  these  "  implements." 
I  have  said  there  was  one  drug  we  did  not  powder — not  because  it 
was  difficult  of  reduction — but  because  my  good  preceptor  saw  fit  to 
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