Browse Artefacts (75 total)

Carron Oil, sold by A. Robertson, Chemist & Druggist, Markinch; supplied by Duncan, Flockhart & Co., Edinburgh. Carron oil is a soothing liquid blend of linseed oil and limewater that was often prescribed to treat burns and scalds. First developed in…

Spirit of Nitre, sold by Andrew Robertson, Chemist & Druggist, Markinch; supplied by Duncan, Flockhart & Co., Edinburgh. Spirit of Nitre, or Sweet Spirit of Nitre, is the popular term for the chemical compound ethyl nitrite. Ingested orally, spirit…

Chloroform Liniment, prepared by Duncan, Flockhart & Co., Chemists to the Queen. Chloroform liniment is a cream or balm mixture of chloroform which was prescribed to relieve muscle pain and alleviate stiffness. In addition to its use as a topical…

Spirit of Sal Volatile, prepared by Duncan, Flockhart & Co. Sal Volatile (volatile salts, smelling salts) is a mixture of ammonium carbonate and ammonia water. Spirit of Sal Volatile was a liquid ammonia solution, prescribed as an antispasmodic,…

Powdered Jalap, prepared by Duncan, Flockhart & Co., Chemists to her Majesty. Jalap is the name of the drug and the plant it comes from, traditionally grown in Mexico, India and Jamaica. Powdered jalap is made from the tuberous roots of the plant and…

Quinine, sold by Andrew Robertson, Chemist and Druggist, Markinch; supplied by Duncan, Flockhart & Co., Edinburgh. Quinine is a powdered form of cinchona bark which can be administered orally or intravenously. Its use as a treatment for and vaccine…

Laudanum, sold by Andrew Robertson; supplied by Duncan, Flockhart & Co., Edinburgh. Laudanum is a bitter tasting tincture of opium which was primarily prescribed to treat coughs and relieve pain. Until the early twentieth century, it was possible to…

Concentrated Fluid Extract of Senna, prepared by Duncan, Flockhart & Co., Chemists to the Queen. Made from the leaves and fruit of the Senna plant, Senna can be administered in tablets or as a liquid (termed “fluid extract” or “concentrated…

A yellow liquid distilled from castor beans, it was believed that cold drawn castor oil, produced by pressing the beans without the use of heat or other chemicals, was of higher quality than regular castor oil. In the nineteenth century, castor oil…

English Paregoric Elixir, prepared by Duncan, Flockhart & Company. “Paregoric” is a camphorated tincture of opium, sometimes containing additional ingredients such as benzoic acid, aniseed oil, honey and alcohol. Paregoric medicines such as this…