Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 18-19. (Budapest, 2000)

Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts - Guide to the Exhibition

III. The rise and development of pharmacy in the 16th-18th centuries Establishing the exact date when pharmaceutics became an independent science in European scholarship may only be maintained arbitrarily. We can rather speak about a long process where many factors contributed to this development: a gradual separation of actual healing from manufacturing medicines; commercial factors that caused the stocks of drug-stores, originally containing various goods, to be reduced exclusively to medicines, and last but not least the reforms introduced in the training of pharmacists. Whereas in the beginning an examination was to be taken before the county-physician, later a university degree was generally required. The introduction of new drugs, due to the imports from newly discovered islands and continents also had a considerable part in this process. Paracclsus's role was indispensable in the further increase of the stock of medicaments. The introduction of new tools and instruments also promoted the development of pharmaceutical technology. Alchemy, the once hermetic science, was replaced by iatro-chemistry. The revolution of the natural sciences in the 18th century opened a new era in the history of scicncc. Instead of running after unrealistic dreams, like looking for the secret of metal transmutation, gold-making or the philosophers' stone, a new attitude came about which desired to establish solid scientific truths. The bands of quacks, charlatans and amateurs found themselves on the fringes of society for the very reason of their ill-reputation. Educated pharmacists, on the other hand, acquired reputed positions in society. Their prestige was in balance with their scientific knowledge. Commercial interests compelled the chemists to supply their pharmacies and laboratories with the best available equipment. Moreover, official decrees made the use of the more hygienic glazed faience and glass pharmacy jars compulsory. Generally speaking progress in Hungary during the 16th and 17th centuries fell behind the European level. As a result of the Turkish occupation (until the end of the 17th century), Habsburg oppression, the division of the country into three parts, the counter-reformation, and all the consequent differences compelled scientist to seek fame abroad. Pharmaceutics was certainly also effected. There were only a few pharmacies all over in Hungary, but in the Turkish occupied territories even those that had existed fell victims to destruction. The number of trained pharmacist remained relatively small. More favourable conditions were brought about only from the 18th century. 1. Faience apothecary jars Italian Renaissance faience pottery is illustrated with majolica jars. As we have mentioned above the word faience has derived from the Italian city of Faenza. The 43