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  • The professed cook: or, the modern art of cookery, pastry, and confectionary, made plain and easy. Consisting of the most approved methods in the French as well as English cookery. In which the French names of all the different dishes are given and explained, whereby every bill of fare becomes intelligible and familiar. Containing I. Of soups, gravy, cullis and broths ... XXII. Ratafias, and other cordials, &c. Including a translation of Les soupers de la cour [by Menon]; with the addition of the best receipts which have ever appeared in the French or English languages, and adapted to the London markets / [B Clermont].
  • An account of the success of inoculating the small-pox in Great Britain, for the years 1727 and 1728. With a comparison between the mortality of the natural small-pox, and the miscarriages in that practice; as also some general remarks on its progress and success, since its first introduction. To which are subjoined, I. An account of the success of inoculation in foreign parts. II. A relation of the like method of giving the small-pox, as it is practised in the kingdoms of Tunis, Tripoli, and Algier / Written in Arabic by his excellency Cassem Aga, ambassador from Tripoli. Done into English from the French of M. Dadichi, His Majesty's interepreter for the eastern languages.
  • An account of the success of inoculating the small-pox in Great Britain, for the years 1727 and 1728. With a comparison between the mortality of the natural small-pox, and the miscarriages in that practice; as also some general remarks on its progress and success, since its first introduction. To which are subjoined, I. An account of the success of inoculation in foreign parts. II. A relation of the like method of giving the small-pox, as it is practised in the kingdoms of Tunis, Tripoli, and Algier / Written in Arabic by his excellency Cassem Aga, ambassador from Tripoli. Done into English from the French of M. Dadichi, His Majesty's interepreter for the eastern languages.
  • Dr. Willis's Practice of physick, being the whole works of that renowned and famous physician: containing these eleven several treatises, viz. I. Of fermentation. II. Of feavers. III. Of urines. IV. Of the accension of the blood. V. Of musculary motion. VI. Of the anatomy of the brain. VII. Of the description and use of the nerves. VIII. Of convulsive diseases. IX. Pharmaceutice rationalis, the first and second part. X. Of the scurvy. XI. Two discourses concerning the soul of brutes. Wherein most of the diseases belonging to the body of man are treated of, with excellent methods and receipts for the cure of the same. Fitted to the meanest capacity by an index for the explaining of all the hard and unusual words and terms of art derived from the Greek, Latine, or other languages for the benefit of the English reader. With forty copper plates / The Pharmaceutice new translated [as also the remainder, by Samuel Pordage], and the whole carefully corrected. And amended.
  • Dr. Willis's Practice of physick, being the whole works of that renowned and famous physician: containing these eleven several treatises, viz. I. Of fermentation. II. Of feavers. III. Of urines. IV. Of the accension of the blood. V. Of musculary motion. VI. Of the anatomy of the brain. VII. Of the description and use of the nerves. VIII. Of convulsive diseases. IX. Pharmaceutice rationalis, the first and second part. X. Of the scurvy. XI. Two discourses concerning the soul of brutes. Wherein most of the diseases belonging to the body of man are treated of, with excellent methods and receipts for the cure of the same. Fitted to the meanest capacity by an index for the explaining of all the hard and unusual words and terms of art derived from the Greek, Latine, or other languages for the benefit of the English reader. With forty copper plates / The Pharmaceutice new translated [as also the remainder, by Samuel Pordage], and the whole carefully corrected. And amended.
  • Capsicum annuum 'Masquerade' Distribution: Central and South America. This ‘domesticated species’ originated from Mexico (although the centre of Capsicum evolution was much earlier and from Bolivia) and includes the bland salad peppers and the hot chilli peppers, of which capsaicin (sometimes called capsicain), from the lining of the inside of the chilli, is the main active ingredient. Chilli comes from the Aztec language of the Nahuatl people. It was reputedly introduced to Europe by Columbus in the mid-15th century, but was cultivated in Mexico since 4,000 BCE and used in cooking since 7,200 BCE. After its introduction to Europe, its cultivation very rapidly became world-wide. It appears first as a description (Bock, 1539) with the name teutschem Pfeffer. The first illustration, as Siliquastrum, appears in Historia Stirpes commentarii insignis (Fuchs, 1542). Fuchs did not realise it came from the Americas, as he identified it as a plant described by Pliny, Dioscorides and Avicenna and gave their uses of it. It appear in Dodoen's Cruydeboeck (1551) and Lyte's translation (1557) with the note that it is 'hot and drie in the third degree.' He recommended it for dressing meat, and noted that it 'warmeth the stomach' and was good for a sore throat, scrofula, and topically got rid of spots. Fuch's had reported these properties as being described by Avicenna, but what that plant was is unknown. Lindley (1838) wrote: 'It is employed in medicine, in combination with Cinchona in intermittent and lethargic affections, and also in atonic gout, dyspepsia accompanied by flatulence, tympanitis, paralysis etc. Its most valuable application appears however to be in cynanche maligna [=severe sore throat, with impending suffocation] and scarlatina maligna [=severe scarlet fever], used either as a gargle or administered internally.' However, its principal use medically has been in pain relief, applied locally for pain from muscle injury to post herpetic neuralgia. Capsaicin acts on the pain and heat sensing neurones to make them trigger the sensation of pain at body temperature. Repeated exposure to capsaicin depletes the neurotransmitter substance P that is used to perceive pain, so the relevant nerves no longer transmit the sensation of pain/heat from any cause. It is a banned substance in the equestrian events at the Olympics because of its ability to stop perception of pain. Capsaicin has been shown, experimentally, to kill cancer cells by attacking their mitochondria. Particular interest has concentrated on its ability to reduce the size of tumours of the pancreas and prostate. Various cultivars are used in cooking, and the strength (i.e. how hot they are) is measured in Scoville units. A standard chilli pepper used in England would be around 5,000 Scovilles, the hottest peppers are rated over one million Scoville units. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Atropa belladonna L. Solanaceae. Deadly nightshade. Dwale. Morella, Solatrum, Hound's berries, Uva lupina, Cucubalus, Solanum lethale. Atropa derives from Atropos the oldest of the three Fates of Greek mythology who cut the thread of Life (her sisters Clotho and Lachesis spun and measured the thread, respectively). belladonna, literally, means 'beautiful lady' and was the Italian name for it. Folklore has it that Italian ladies put drops from the plant or the fruits in their eyes to make themselves doe-eyed, myopic and beautiful. However, this is not supported by the 16th and 17th century literature, where no mention is ever made of dilated pupils (or any of the effects of parasympathetic blockade). Tournefort (1719) says 'The Italians named this plant Belladonna, which in their language signifies a beautiful woman, because the ladies use it much in the composition of their Fucus [rouge or deceit or cosmetic] or face paint.' Parkinson says that the Italian ladies use the distilled juice as a fucus '... peradventure [perhaps] to take away their high colour and make them looke paler.' I think it more likely that they absorbed atropine through their skin and were slightly 'stoned' and disinhibited, which made them beautiful ladies in the eyes of Italian males. Distribution: Europe, North Africa, western Asia. Culpeper (1650) writes: 'Solanum. Nightshade: very cold and dry, binding … dangerous given inwardly … outwardly it helps the shingles, St Antonie's Fire [erysipelas] and other hot inflammation.' Most of the 16th, 17th and 18th century herbals recommend it topically for breast cancers. Poisonous plants were regarded as 'cold' plants as an excess of them caused death and the body became cold. They were regarded as opposing the hot humour which kept us warm and alive. Poultices of Belladonna leaves are still recommended for muscle strain in cyclists, by herbalists. Gerard (1633) writes that it: 'causeth sleep, troubleth the mind, bringeth madnesse if a few of the berries be inwardly taken, but if more be taken they also kill...'. He was also aware that the alkaloids could be absorbed through the skin for he notes that a poultice of the leaves applied to the forehead, induces sleep, and relieves headache. The whole plant contains the anticholinergic alkaloid atropine, which blocks the peripheral actions of acetylcholine in the parasympathetic nervous system. Atropine is a racemic mixture of d- and l- hyoscyamine. Atropine, dropped into the eyes, blocks the acetylcholine receptors of the pupil so it no longer constricts on exposure to bright light - so enabling an ophthalmologist to examine the retina with an ophthalmoscope. Atropine speeds up the heart rate, reduces salivation and sweating, reduces gut motility, inhibits the vertigo of sea sickness, and is used to block the acetylcholine receptors to prevent the effects of organophosphorous and other nerve gas poisons. It is still has important uses in medicine. Atropine poisoning takes three or for days to wear off, and the hallucinations experienced by its use are described as unpleasant. We have to be content with 'madness', 'frenzie' and 'idle and vain imaginations' in the early herbals to describe the hallucinations of atropine and related alkaloids as the word 'hallucination' in the sense of a perception for which there is no external stimulus, was not used in English until 1646 (Sir T. Browne, 1646). It is a restricted herbal medicine which can only be sold in premises which are registered pharmacies and by or under the supervision of a pharmacist (UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • A man in a Roman helmet (or Minerva?) leads two children up a hill towards two temples; representing the learning of words and spelling. Engraving by W.C. Wrankmore after T. Stothard.
  • The builders of the Tower of Babel start to argue as their language is confounded. Etching by M. van der Gucht after G. Hoet, c. 1700.
  • A small child attempts to ask a pharmacist for some ipecacuanha, but only succeeds in babbling excrementally. Colour photomechanical reproduction of a lithograph, c. 1900.
  • A man scatters seeds; representing the Biblical parable of the sower; here referring to the "ministry of the word", preaching. Etching by C. Murer after himself, c. 1600-1614.
  • A Scottish doctor informing a northen farmer of the perils of consulting a southern doctor including recommending red wine rather than whiskey. Wood engraving by C. Keene, 1885.
  • God appears at Babel to disperse the people into different tongues. Process print, 1894, after W. von Kaulbach.
  • Adam names the animals in the Garden of Eden. Etching by J.E. Ridinger after himself, c. 1750.
  • Adam names the animals in the Garden of Eden. Etching.
  • A doctor reprimanding the drunkenness of the village grave-digger, who retorts that he does not criticise the doctor for his mistakes - which he has to bury. Wood engraving by C. Keene, 1879.
  • Tongues of fire appear to the apostles, who sit around a throne, occupied by the praying Virgin Mary. Reproduction of a woodcut.
  • Tongues of fire descend on the apostles at Pentecost. Lithograph.
  • Noah preparing his first sacrifice after the Flood; the Tower of Babel; God responds to Noah's sacrifice with a rainbow. Etching by J. Hulett.
  • Zacharias (father of John the Baptist), struck dumb, writes that his son should be known as John. Etching by C. Tinti, 1771, after A. del Sarto.
  • King Louis XIV is crowned with a garland while the 'Dictionaire de l'academie françoise' is celebrated with flowers by three women aided by genii. Engraving by J. Mariette and G. Edelinck, 1694, after J.B. Corneille.
  • The birth of John the Baptist. Drawing by F. Rosaspina, c. 1830, after L. Carracci.
  • Deaf actors using sign language perform a play about Don Guzman to an audience in St Saviour's church hall, London. Wood engraving by G. Durand, 1877.
  • 'Alcopar' brand dispersible granules ... / Burroughs Wellcome & Co. (the Wellcome Foundation Ltd.).
  • 'Alcopar' brand dispersible granules ... / Burroughs Wellcome & Co. (the Wellcome Foundation Ltd.).
  • 'Alcopar' brand dispersible granules ... / Burroughs Wellcome & Co. (the Wellcome Foundation Ltd.).
  • 'Alcopar' brand dispersible granules ... / Burroughs Wellcome & Co. (the Wellcome Foundation Ltd.).
  • Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian. Oil painting.
  • Vaccination against smallpox. Colour lithograph, 196- (?).
  • Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian. Oil painting.