Múzeumi műtárgyvédelem 16., 1987 (Központi Múzeumi Igazgatóság)

Történeti, ipartörténeti emlékek restaurálásáról - Újszászy Ágnes: 19. század eleji fa patikaláda és gyógyszergyűjtemény restaurálása

UJSZÁSZY, Agnes

The restoration of a pharmacy chest and medicine collection from the beginning of the 19th century - Summary The chest itself was to serve as a pharmacy chest, but in fact, it may be considered a medicine collection. The items of the collection were based on the medicines listed in the 4th edition of Pharmacopaea Austrica, but it was later extended by the original owner, Dr József Verebély to include medicines listed in the next edition of the Pharmacopaea. This may be concluded from the presence of Deutro jodoretum which began to appear in the formulary from 1855 onwards. The medicine chest was obtained from the Verebély family through purchase by the Semmelweis Medical History Museum.

Pharmacy chests were used to keep medicines in. These pieces of furniture were made of wood, had the shape of a case or chest, and were sometimes provided with doors. Their design varied according to the taste and social position of their owner. The author discusses the functions of various medicine chests: medicine cupboards in the home, pocket medicine-boxes, travelling kits and field pharmacies. Their equipment is surveyed by resorting to contemporary accounts.

There were iron mountings on the hogbacked top of the ogject restored by the author with handles on the sides and a mounted lock on its end plate which opens with a key. After opening it the front of the chest may be pulled out and the three drawers are exposed. In the uppermost drawer three tin plated iron boxes, a serpentine pounder and five prism-shaped bottles were found. In two of the metal boxes chemicals were found; these were kept separately in labelled paper bags. The vegetable drugs in the third box were packed in the same way.

In the two lower drawers there were medicines made from vegetable base materials in numbered and labelled vials. In t-he middlfe drawer the vials were in one row while in the bottom drawer there were two rows, the vials numbering 208 in all.

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