Apothecary Jars

As early as 1500 BC, the ancient Egyptians recognised that glass was an excellent vessel for storing chemical substances – it is non-absorbent and will not adulterate the contents. These glass apothecary jars used this ancient technology to store a selection of medicinal ingredients. The jar labelled ‘Vitriol. Coerul.’ contained copper sulphate, while that marked ‘Ocul. Cancr.’ stored ‘crab's eyes’ – stony concretions taken from the stomachs of putrefied crayfish, prescribed to aid digestion! The jar named ‘Sang. Draco.V.’ once stored ‘Dragon's Blood’. It contained a potent red resin that is still widely used in medicine, magic, art and alchemy.

A SET OF APOTHECARY JARS (SPAIN?, 17TH OR 18TH CENTURY)

Science Museum