In
Exodus 30:25 of the
Hebrew Bible, a practice similar to apothecary is mentioned. The profession of apothecary can be dated back at least to 2600 BC to ancient
Babylon, which provides one of the earliest records of the practice of the apothecary. Clay tablets have been found with medical texts recording symptoms, prescriptions, and directions for compounding. The
Papyrus Ebers from
ancient Egypt, written BC, contains a collection of more than 800 prescriptions with over 700 drugs. In ancient India, the
Sushruta Samhita, a compendium on the practice of medicine and medical formulations, has been traced back to the 1st century BC. The
Shennong Ben Cao Jing, a Chinese book on agriculture and medicinal plants (3rd century AD), is considered a foundational material for
Chinese medicine and
herbalism and became an important source for Chinese apothecaries. The book, which documented 365 treatments, had a focus on roots and grass. It had treatments which came from minerals, roots, grass, and animals. , an herb first mentioned in the book, led to the introduction of the drug
ephedrine into modern medicine. operated by
pharmacists in 754 during the
Abbasid Caliphate and
Islamic Golden Age. Apothecaries were also active in
Al-Andalus by the 11th century. By the end of the 14th century,
Geoffrey Chaucer (–1400) was mentioning an English apothecary in the
Canterbury Tales, specifically "
The Nun's Priest's Tale", as Pertelote speaks to Chauntecleer (lines 181–184): ... and for ye shal nat tarie, Though in this toun is noon apothecarie, I shal myself to herbes techen yow, That shul been for youre hele and for youre prow. In modern English:
... and you should not linger, Though in this town there is no apothecary, I shall teach you about herbs myself, That will be for your health and for your pride. During the
Italian Renaissance, Italian nuns became a prominent source for medicinal needs. At first, they used their knowledge of non-curative uses in the convents to reinforce the sanctity of religion among their sisters. As they progressed in skill, they began to expand their field to generate profit. This profit they used towards their charitable goals. Because of their eventual spread to urban society, these religious women gained roles of public significance beyond the spiritual realm, writes S.T. Strocchia. Later, apothecaries led by nuns spread across the Italian peninsula. ,
Philadelphia. From the 15th century to the 16th century, the apothecary gained the status of a skilled practitioner. In London, the apothecaries merited their own
livery company, the
Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, founded in 1617. Its roots, however, go back much earlier to the
Guild of Pepperers formed in London in 1180. Similarly in Ireland, apothecaries were organized before 1446. In Ireland and Great Britain, they were allowed to diagnose diseases in addition to their compounding and dispensing roles, becoming regulated general medical practitioners and the forerunners of
general practitioners there. (between 1825 and 1870).
Walters Art Museum,
Baltimore. However, there were ongoing tensions between apothecaries and other medical professions, as is illustrated by the publication of
A Short View of the Frauds and Abuses Committed by Apothecaries by the physician
Christopher Merret in 1669 and the experiences of
Susan Reeve Lyon and other female apothecaries in 17th century London. In 1865,
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was the first woman to be licensed to practice medicine in Britain by passing the examination of the Society of Apothecaries. By the end of the 19th century, the medical professions had taken on their current institutional form, with defined roles for physicians and surgeons, and the role of the apothecary was more narrowly conceived, as that of pharmacist or chemist. In German-speaking countries, such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, pharmacies or chemist stores are still called apothecaries or, in German, . The ('store') is legally obligated to be run at all times by at least one (male) or (female), who actually has an academic degree as a pharmacist—in German, (male) or (female)—and has obtained the professional title by either working in the field for numerous years, usually by working in a pharmacy store, or taking additional exams. Thus, a is not always an .
Magdalena Neff became the first woman to gain a medical qualification in Germany when she studied pharmacy at the
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and later passed the apothecary's examination in 1906. Apothecaries used their own measurement system, the
apothecaries' system, to provide precise weighing of small quantities. Apothecaries dispensed vials of poisons as well as medicines, and as is still the case, medicines could be either beneficial or harmful if inappropriately used. Protective methods to prevent accidental ingestion of poisons included the use of specially-shaped containers for potentially poisonous substances such as
laudanum.
Apothecary work as gateway to women as healers Apothecary businesses were typically family-run, and wives or other women of the family worked alongside their husbands in the shops, learning the trade themselves. Women were still not allowed to train or be educated in universities, so this allowed them a chance to learn medical knowledge and healing practices. Previously, women had some influence over other women's healthcare, such as serving as
midwives and providing other feminine care in settings not considered appropriate for males. Though physicians gave medical advice, they did not make medicine, so they typically sent their patients to particular independent apothecaries, who also provided some medical advice, in particular remedies and healing. ==Methods==