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  • Bullet extractors, 16th - 17th century.
  • Pocket case of dental instruments, 16th - 17th century
  • 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.
  • Zantedeschia aethiopica (L)Spreng. Calla lily, Arum lily. Half hardy annual. Distribution: South Africa. The genus name commemorates Giovanni Zantedeschi (1773-1846) an Italian physician and botanist. Born in Molina he studied medicine in Verona and Padua. He corresponded with the German botanist, Kurt Sprengel, who named the genus Zantedeschia in his honour in 1826, separating it from Calla, where, as C. aethiopica, it had been previously described by Linnaeus. He had broad interests, including the effect of different parts of the spectrum of light on plant growth, reporting in 1843, that red, orange and yellow light are heliotropically inactive. The botanic museum in Molina is dedicated to his memory. Aethiopica, merely means 'African'. The leaves are used as a warm poultice for headaches in ‘muthi’ medicine. It has become an invasive weed in parts of Australia. It was introduced, as a greenhouse plant, to Europe in the mid-17th century, where the long lasting flowers are popular in flower arranging and for weddings and funerals – a curious combination (Oakeley, 2012). Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Demonstrations of the arts and sciences in a classical courtyard. Etching by J. Sturt after S. Le Clerc.
  • Astley Hall, Chorley, Lancashire. Photograph, 18--.
  • Former Almshouses, Shoreditch, London: west front. Etching, 1834.
  • Five men sit smoking round a fireplace, another stands with his back to the fire. Mezzotint after A. van Ostade (?).
  • A man sitting indoors with tobacco pipe, jar and beer jug, behind a woman watches two card players. Engraving by Merot, junior, after A. van Ostade.
  • Anel syringe from 17th century.
  • Wellcome Exhibition: The History of Pharmacy.
  • Abbaye Royale du Val de Grace, Paris: facade. Etching.
  • Five men drinking and smoking round a table in a large open room. Mezzotint after a painting by A. van Ostade, 1665.
  • Four Flemish men smoke and drink in a dingy smoke den, a man leans on the wall behind. Engraving by L. Lempereur, late 18th century, after a painting by D. Teniers, the younger.
  • Three men indoors round an inn table with drink, tobacco pipes and cards. Engraving by F. Basan after A. van Ostade.
  • The interior of a dingy smoke den where groups of men smoke, drink and play cards. Engraving by F. del Pedro, 18th century, after a painting by D. Teniers, the younger.
  • The interior of a dingy smoke den where groups of men smoke, drink and play cards. Engraving by P. Moitte, 18th century, after a painting by D. Teniers, the younger.
  • Five Flemish men smoke, drink and sleep in a dingy smoke den. Engraving by D. Sornique, early 18th century, after D. Teniers, the younger.
  • Essay in political arithmetick
  • Five men indoors round a table smoking and playing backgammon, behind a man and women talk. Etching by J. Suyderhoff after A. van Ostade, 1670.
  • Selection of apothecary jars
  • Selection of apothecary jars
  • Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum'
  • Cosmographiae universalis libri VI in quibus ... describuntur, omnium habitabilis orbis partes situs, propriaeque dotes.
  • Cosmographiae universalis libri VI in quibus ... describuntur, omnium habitabilis orbis partes situs, propriaeque dotes.
  • Cosmographiae universalis libri VI in quibus ... describuntur, omnium habitabilis orbis partes situs, propriaeque dotes.
  • Cosmographiae universalis libri VI in quibus ... describuntur, omnium habitabilis orbis partes situs, propriaeque dotes.
  • Cosmographiae universalis libri VI in quibus ... describuntur, omnium habitabilis orbis partes situs, propriaeque dotes.
  • Cosmographiae universalis libri VI in quibus ... describuntur, omnium habitabilis orbis partes situs, propriaeque dotes.
  • Cosmographiae universalis libri VI in quibus ... describuntur, omnium habitabilis orbis partes situs, propriaeque dotes.