Exploring Medicines
Discover how a variety of medicinal preparations have been made through the centuries and the essential pharmaceutical equipment used.
Oxygen Cylinder, Circa 1970
A small oxygen cylinder and bag designed for portable use, made by the British Oxygen Company Ltd. The cylinder black with a white top, which ...
Peacock Dung (Burges Collection of Materia Medica, late 1700s)
Animal dung has a long history in medicine, with five types still appearing in the official London Pharmacopoeia of 1721. One of these was peacock dung, ...
Pelliculae Ventriculi Gallinae, c1745-1807
Glass specie jar containing stomach linings of hen. From the Burges Collection. Text on paper contents label reads ‘Catal. mat. med. p. 129. No. 97. Pelliculae Ventriculi ...
Pila Cervina, c1745-1807
Glass jar containing ‘pila cervina’. From the Burges Collection. Text on paper labels reads ‘Catal. Mat. Med. p. 129, no. 100’ and ‘PILA CERVINA’. Described by John ...
Pilae Marinae, c1745-1807
Glass jar containing one specimen of vegetable matter found on the seashore. From the Burges Collection. Text on paper labels reads ‘Catal. Mat. Med. p. 116, ...
Pod of Theobroma Cacao, 19th Century
Pod of Theobroma Cacao. Cocoa fruits are 15 to 25 cm long and are borne on the trunk as well as the branches. The fruits have a ...
Poisoned Curare Darts, date unknown
As the label warns, this glass tube contains six poisoned curare darts. Curare is the common name for a variety of plant alkaloids found in ...
Pongio Atro-Brun, c1745-1807
Glass jar containing specimens of sponge or fungus. From the Burges Collection. Text on paper labels reads ‘Catal. Mat. Med. p. 117. No. 78’ and ‘SPONGIO ATRO-BRUN’. ...
Porci Ungula, c1745-1807
Glass jar containing specimen of pig hoof. From the Burges Collection. Text on paper labels reads ‘Catal. Mat. Med. p. 130. No. 101’ and ‘UNGULA PORCI’.
Portia Bunion Plaster, 1950-1970
Cardboard box containing six thin, large size Portia brand white felt bunion plasters. The yellow label on the box shows a handwritten price of 7 1/2 pence.