Pharmacy - Cabinet of Curatives
by Mike Savad
Title
Pharmacy - Cabinet of Curatives
Artist
Mike Savad
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
In the days before modern pharmacies, apothecaries were the community's go-to source for remedies and treatments. These early pharmacists worked much like herbalists and chemists rolled into one, carefully mixing and measuring concoctions by hand. Their shelves were lined with dried ingredients stored in glass jars or paper-wrapped bundles, each labeled in looping script.
They used leaves like peppermint for digestion, willow bark for pain relief (a natural source of salicin, the ancestor of aspirin), senna leaves as a laxative, and lobelia to relieve asthma symptoms. Chamomile soothed anxiety and inflammation, while foxglove, dangerous if misused, was used to treat heart conditions under careful watch.
Alongside these natural preparations, the apothecary shop also sold patent medicines, pre-made, often secret-formula remedies advertised as cure-alls. These were marketed with bold claims and colorful labels, often containing ingredients like alcohol, opium, or coca. Unlike the carefully dosed herbs, patent medicines were part medicine, part marketing, and part mystery.
Together, the apothecary's hand-mixed treatments and mass-produced bottles tell a story of a time when healing was equal parts tradition, experimentation, and trust.
Uploaded
June 20th, 2025
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