On remedies in the Sloane collections, and on alchemical symbols / by F.C.J. Spurrell.

  • Spurrell, F. C. J.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On remedies in the Sloane collections, and on alchemical symbols / by F.C.J. Spurrell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    REMEDIES IN THE SLOANE COLLECTIONS, AND ON ALCHEMICAL SYMBOLS. By F. C. J. SPUERELL. The collections of Sir Hans Sloane which formed the commencement of that national collection called the British Museum were very numerous and the individual objects multitudinous. Together with books, pictures, and objects of art were mathematical and other instru- ments, and odd and pretty things from everywhere. The natural history specimens were innumerable if we include the Hortus Siccus, in which every page of every volume was crowded as fall as possible with plants. Most of these things have found their proper places, in the improved classification of to-day. But there was one collection or set of things for which the nation has provided no proper home, in consequence of which it has suffered severely ; this is the collection of Materia Medica and the chemical preparations used in the arts of the time, such as salts, colours, metals, &c. The greater part of this, consisting of roots, fruits, and leaves of plants, went bodily to the herbarium—the herbarium, however, being scientific and taking little heed of economic pre- parations found it an encumbrance and so the things have been stowed away in the smallest space for generations and many are looked on now as having no business there, and many are lost. Lately I have been examining the gums and resins found among them. In search of these I had to overhaul the greater part of the miscellaneous mass of specimens which had become confused and mixed, and I have to thank Mr. Carruthers for the facilities which he gave me. While doing this I took a few notes of the trays contain- ing the curious remedies and preparations met with. This especial collection is the earliest Sloane made, and is undoubtedly most interesting from that point of view. He entered as medical student in 1679 and from the dates