Ox gull - FEL TAURI

Ox gull or Bilis bovina - FEL TAURI in apothecary terms- was used ever since Antiquity in the treatment of eye, stomach and intestine problems, of hemorrhoids, but was also part of numerous mixed medicines.

Three apothecary jars for bull’s bile are exhibited part of the "Animals that heal" temporary exhibition at the History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj-Napoca, part of the National History Museum of Transylvania:

§    white ceramic jar with the signature EXTR. FELL. TAURI in Latin and Hungarian, dated 1815 and used in the Matei Corvin Pharmacy in Cluj. The signature is placed in an oval cartouche with golden border

§ white ceramic jar inscribed EXTR. FEL TAURI from the beginning of the 19^th century, Timiş, manufactured in Batiz. The signature is placed in a shield-shaped cartouche with green border, surmounted by a painted decoration consisting of two branches and a central bow

§       glass jar with paper label with the depiction of bulls, beginning of the 20^th c., Unicorn Pharmacy in Cluj, partially effaced print and French writing

Apothecary jars for ox-gall

Animals that heal exhibition

The official poster is now ready!

Animals that heal is the next temporary exhibition at the History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj-Napoca. Visitors will be able to explore the curious history of animal ingredients used in the apothecary shops of old between January 2nd and June 30th 2017.
Recommended for both adults and kids in the location of the oldest pharmacy in town, in Unirii Square 28.

New book out soon

My most recent book, entitled "FOCUS - The History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj-Napoca", will soon be available. It is a bilingual (Romanian-English) popularizing presentation of the pharmacy collection and of its most bizarre ingredients and products. The presentation is structured according to the nature of the ingredients (of human, animal, mineral and vegetal origin), followed by some of the most common products such as tooth powders and elixirs. I have appended a glossary of terms, as some are a bit specialized, and a brief, basic bibliography of works dealing with the history of pharmacy in Transylvania.

 

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

Precious apothecary ingredients

The new temporary exhibition at the History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj, entitled "Gold and gems", is actually about many other interesting fact about the history of pharmacy, alchemy and snobbery. It tells the story of gold, silver, and gem powder as universal medicines, of the advantages of gilding or silvering pills, of black epileptic powders that contained precious red coral, mother of pearl and crushed narwal tusk, of alcoholic tonics that contained saffron and flecks of gold, but also of ingredients making reference to precious metals, such as Orpiment (arsenic yellow powder) and the Golden citrus (bitter orange).

Don't miss the exhibition that will be open until the end of this year.

Cordial waters contained saffron and flecks of gold

Crocus sativus or Saffron Crocus, the most expensive of spices, reaching the price of gold

The Gold Pigment - Orpiment

Gold leaf and Avicenna's pills

Gold and silver uses in homeopathy - a theory born in Transylvania

 

 

Gold and gems at the pharmacy

The official poster of the next temporary exhibition at the History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj-Napoca is here! The "Gold and Gems" glamorous display focuses on precious materials used as apothecary ingredients, such as gold, silver, pearls, coral, precious and semi-precious stones, but visitors will also be able to learn more about cordial waters, gilded pills, alembics, alchemy and ... gold-lying hens!

The exhibition will be open on September 1st and will last until the end of 2016. See it in Unirii Square 28.

Oculi cancrorum

One of the interesting ingredients of animal origin preserved at the History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj-Napoca is crab's eyes (Lapides Cancrorum or Oculi Cancrorum). The strange product was in fact used as a natural source of calcium carbonate (for calcium supplements and against stomach hyper acidity) besides oyster and mussel shells, pincers, and coral. The term designating them stems from the confusion of their aspect, resembling an eye, but they are calcareous concretions found in the head, or rather stomach, of river crabs. They are generally about the size of peas, or larger and have a laminated inner structure (through which they can be distinguished from fakes).

Read more on crab stones as pat of materia medica in German HERE and in Polish HERE and on how crabs produce these gastroliths - in English HERE.

Olfactive workshops

For the Feast of Love at the History of Pharmacy Collection in Cluj I have prepared a series of olfactive workshops, for people to smell and guess several ingredients used by old apothecaries in Transylvania. Some are delicious spices, exotic and expensive during the Early Modern period, while others are harsh and rather odorous, like the Valerian root. Inspired by such ingredients and by the story of Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in Harry Potter that smelled different to each person, visitors are invited to invent their own recipes. The winners shall receive small bottles with the ingredients of the actual Elixir of Love sold in hand-painted jars by the apothecaries of old.