Castoreum

Castoreum is a yellowish, oily, vanilla-scented excretion from the castor sacs in both male and female beavers, employed by the animals to mark their territory. The substance is still used in the perfume industry, but was famous since Antiquity as a cure. It seems its action is due to the salicin content from the beavers’ diet, being thus similar to aspirin.

18th-century drybeaver sacks

Castoreum is mentioned in all apothecary inventories, taxes and pharmacopoeias from early modern Transylvania. It was recommended against epilepsy, cholera, but also hysteria due to its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.

In 17^th-19^th century Transylvania the apothecaries used Castoreum from England (Anglicum), Russia (Moscoviticum) and Canada (Canadense) as tincture, essence, and powder.

The History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj includes 10 jars, of all types, for Castoreum-based products. Castoreum Moscoviticum, from Moscow, was the most popular among them. Eighteenth-century dried beaver glands are also preserved from the pharmacy in Baia Mare. A small bottle from a portable pharmacy is also dated to the same century and was used for Castoreum Essence. From the nineteenth century we display wooden and milky glass jars from pharmacies in Carei, Braşov and Recaşul de Timiş, while the blues glass jar is from the twentieth century and was used in the old Hintz pharmacy that hosts the museum today.

20th-century blues glass bottle for Castoreum Tincture

18th-century small bottle for Castoreum Essence from the portable apothecary chest of Theresa Kemeny

See all photos and the story of the ingredient in Romanian HERE and follow the official blog of the History of Pharmacy Museum in Cluj-Napoca, heart of Transylvania.

eighteenth century engraving depicting a beaver - castor