Introduction - Uppsala Monitoring Centre

man’s knowledge, never written of nor mentioned in any author before
whatsoever: together with the true nature, use, and quality of every
simple spoken of through the whole work : read me, practise me, and
admire me,’ written by Geruase Markham gentleman.
Henbane: ‘squiani which we call Henbane, is cold in the fourth
degree: it astonieth, and benumbeth.’
1611 ‘L’eau de Melisse des Carmes 108 ’ a digestive with 14 plants and 9
spices was made originally by the monks of the Carmelite monastery
in Bordeaux. It is still available in 2008. We know that two toxic plants
(muguet and primevère) were removed from it and that there have
been many different versions. It was probably a secret remedy to
start with (Renou, 2005).
1612–3 ‘I find the medicine worse than the malady.’ Francis Beaumont and
John Fletcher, Love’s Cure (Act III, Sc 2).
1617 King James I gave the apothecaries a charter as ‘Master, Warden,
and Society of the Art and Mistery of the Apothecaries of the City of
London’. They agreed not to supply cathartics 109 , vomits or
sudorifics 110 without the knowledge of a physician; or opiates,
hypnotics or abortifacients without a prescription; and also not to
supply poisons without a signed prescription (Penn, 1979).
A Spanish Royal Decree of 1617 concerning the examination of
physicians and surgeons.
‘1, Firstly, That the professor read the works of Galen, Hippocrates
and Avicenna aloud to the students, the professor having the book in
his hand and the students one in theirs so that they can understand
him.’
1618 First edition of the London Pharmacopoeia appeared on the 7th May.
Although other editions of the London Pharmacopoeia were issued in
1621, 1632, 1639 and 1677, it was not until the edition of 1721,
published under the auspices of Sir Hans Sloane, that any important
alterations were made. It contained 712 compound remedies and
listed 680 crude drugs used in these remedies. A Royal proclamation
led to it being recognised as Europe’s first national pharmacopoeia. It
applied to ‘all and singular apothecaries of this our Realm of England
108 L’eau de Melisse des Carmes = alcoholic balm obtained from the distillation of fresh Mélisse (Mélisse
Officinalis) leaves with alcohol made by the White Friars (Carmelites).
109 Cathartics = laxatives
110 Sudorifics =causing sweating