A Trip to the Apothecary

AN APOTHECARY’S SHOP, IN A SURGEON’S MANUSCRIPT (FRANCE, 14TH CENTURY)

British Library

This illustration of an apothecary's shop appears in a 14th-century French manuscript that was created for a surgeon. The apothecary is perhaps the figure in the centre wearing a grey cowl who has handed a striped jar to his seated customer. There is a flat dish hanging from a hook fixed to the ceiling that would be used for mixing his ingredients. This manuscript has passed through numerous hands, from Amiens in northern France all the way to the library of King Henry VIII of ­England. It was eventually acquired by the ­physician and collector, Sir Hans Sloane – the man after whom Sloane Square in London is named.

“An apothecary was a medical professional, the equivalent to a modern pharmacist, who dispensed supplies to physicians and their patients. The blue ink used in the illustration still looks bright and vibrant, hundreds of years after it was first applied.”

Julian Harrison
Lead Curator