Introduction - Uppsala Monitoring Centre

She then did bid me drop in her eyes
A sovereign water sent her that day,
But I had a liquor I more did prize,
Made of Henbane and Mercury steep’d in Whey:
I dropt it in and nointed her face,
Which brought her into a most devillish case:
For she rore and she ranted, and well she might;
For after that time she ne’er had sight.
Then did get her a dog and a bell,
To lead her about from place to place:
And now ‘tis, husband, I hope you are well;
But before it was cuckold and rogue to my face;
Then blest be that Henbane and Mercury strong,
That made such a change in my wives tongue.
You see ‘tis a medicine certain and sure,
For the cure of a scold, but I’ll say no more.
1672 The law of the 4 th December 1672 in Denmark-Norway assigned
physicians control over both apothecaries and midwives and
physicians who were obliged to provide free medical care to the
poor. At that time there were only 5 physicians in the country
(Hubbard, 2006).
1673 ‘Presque tous les hommes meurent de leurs remèdes, et non pas de
leurs maladies.’ [Nearly all men die of their medicines, not of their
diseases]. ‘La Malade Imaginaire’ Molière (1622–1673). Molière also
observed that ‘medicine is only for those who are fit enough to
survive the treatment as well as the illness.’
1676 Charas, Moyse, 1619–1698, ‘Pharmacopée Royale Galénique et
Chymique’ [Royal Pharmacopoeia for apothecaries and Chemists] (A
Paris, M.DC.LXXVI..)’ No mention of ADRs for opium, despite the
fact that he experimented with opium on himself. He came to London
as a Huguenot refugee in 1680, but later converted to Catholicism
and returned to France
Mercury: ‘… and because mercury passes for a medicament
which is a great enemy of the nerves’ ... ’although sometimes it
excites the salivation in delicate persons’… from whence it can make
a great ravage in the stomach.’
Henbane (semenis hyosciami albi) ‘I admit also that the roots of
Henbane eaten in quantity upsets for a time the judgement and
troubles the reason.’
1678 ‘Experiments and Observations of the Effects of Several Sorts of