Apothecaries In The 18th Century

By 1200AD, medicine in most of the known world was controlled by the Pope and the
Catholic Church. Any form of disease was sent by God to punish sin, and treatment was extended prayers (if you could afford them) and bloodletting via leeches. In 1347, the Black Death arrived and devastated 50% of London’s population and 40% of the population of Europe. Aromatherapy and herbal medicine during this era was limited to wearing lavender pouches to prevent against the smell, and thyme amulets, which had no success.
By 1518, Henry VIII had had enough. He issued a charter stripping away the power of the Church to regulate medicine, and gave control to a new organisation called The Royal College of
Physicians. This College had full control over apothecaries and were able to award
It was highly successful, not only amongst doctors but also among apothecaries, who now used the book to make their own concoctions for sale; however, many plants which we now take for granted such as juniper, lavender, rosemary and sage are missing. In April 1618, in an attempt to take more control and further standardise medical practice, all apothecaries were to obtain and use a copy of Pharmacopoeia Londinensis. In 1603, the Black Death hit again, and herbs were burnt frequently to keep disease at bay. New herbs were used, such as frankincense, benzoin and styrax, but they were as ineffective as thyme and lavender. It was identified however, that those who worked with perfumes and scents appeared to have a higher survival rate. This could be due to their surrounding themselves with plants, which had antiseptic properties.
The next notable event came with the work of Nicholas Culpeper. His book †̃The English Physician’ written in 1652 is still available today. In it, he made detailed descriptions of oils and herbs, mixed with astrology. Other herbalists than Culpeper were making headway and writing books, and