Medicine chest of [John Boswell]
A label on this medicine chest states: ' Dr John Boswell medicine chest. He was my great grandfather, W Roxburgh, 1877.' William Roxburgh (1751-1815) was a Scottish surgeon and botanist. It has been said that he lived for a time during his early career with the family of Dr John Boswell. Perhaps William Roxburgh (1751-1815) is the father of this W Roxburgh of 1877.
18th century
Medicine chest (unknown owner)
Medicine chest made from wood. The top chest section contains three rows of glass bottles. The back row has four large bottles, the middle row has five medium sized bottles and the front row has seven small bottles. There is also a drawer section to the bottom of the chest.
[18th-19th century]
Homeopathy medicine chest (unknown owner)
This wooden medicine chest contains homeopathic remedies. There are three rows of nine spaces containing small glass medicine bottles with cork stoppers. It was presented to the College by Mr and Mrs Eric Davidson.
19th century
Medicine chest (unknown owner)
Medicine chest made from wood. The top chest section contains three rows of glass bottles. The back row has three large bottles, the middle row has four medium sized glass bottles and the front row has five small glass bottles. There is a drawer section at the bottom of the chest which contains brass weights.
19th century
Materia medica medicine chest (unknown owner)
This item consists of:
- Two matching medicine chests. These two chests each consist of a chest of drawers and a wooden cabinet placed on top the chest of drawers. These were possibly part of the materia medica display held in the College during the nineteenth century.
- Three volumes which record the medicines contained in the chests.
- A wooden tray with apertures designed for carrying glass medicine bottles.
- Medicine bottles and boxes (all of which still contain original contents). These consist of: 31 unlabelled bottles, 59 labelled bottles, 1 unlabelled box, 126 labelled boxes.
The labelled bottles are:
No. 78 - [Section of volume noting contents of this bottle is missing]
No. 90 - Acidum Arseniosum
No. 100 - Ammoniae Bromidum
No. 101 - Antimonium Tartaricum
No. 104 - Argenti Nitrus Oxydum
No. 106 (2 bottles) - Bismutti Sub.
No. 109 (3 bottles) - Camphora
No. 113 - Colchici Semina
No. 115 - Elaterium
No. 116 - Ferri Arsenicas
No. 117 (3 bottles) - Ferri Carbonas Sacharata
No. 118 (2 bottles) - Ferri et Ammon: Citras
No. 119 - Ferri et Lumcae Citras
No. 122 - Ferri Sulphas
No. 125 - Hydrarg: Jodi: Viridide
No. 126 - Hydrarg: Jodi: Rubrum
No. 127 - Hydrarg: Jodi: Oxydum
No. 128 - Hydrarg. Perchloridum
No. 129 - Hydrarg. Subchloridum
No. 134 - Lithiae Carbonas
No. 136 - Magnesia
No. 138 - Magnesia Carbonas
No. 140 - Urphiae Hydrochloras
No. 142 (2 bottles) - Plumbi Acetas
No. 144 - Plumbi Jodidum
No. 146 - Potassa Sulphuatae
No. 149 - Potassa Chloras
No. 150 - Potassa Nitras
No. 151 - Potassa Permanganas
No. 154 - Potassa Tartras Acida
No. 155 - Potassii Bromidum
No. 157 - Lumcae Sulphas
No. 158 - Santorinum
No. 159 - Soda Tartarata
No. 160 - Soda Arsenias
No. 162 - Soda Carbonas
No. 163 - Soda Phosphas
No. 165 - Strychmia
No. 166 - Sulphur Jodidum
No. 167 - Zinci Acitas
No. 168 - Zinci Carbonas
No. 170 - Zinci Sulphas
No. 171 - Zinci Valerianas
No. 172 (2 bottles) - Jalapa Pulvis
No. 173 - Acid Oxalic
No. 176 (2 bottles) - Dorers Powder
The labelled boxes are:
No. 1 - Acaciae Gummi
No. 2 - Acouiti Folia
No. 3 - Aconite Radex
No. 4 (3 bottles) - Aloe Barbadensis
No. 5 (3 bottles) - Aloe Socotrina
No. 6 (2 bottles) - Alumen
No. 7 - Ammoniacum
No. 8 - Ammonii Chloridum
No. 10 - Anthemides Floris
No. 11 - Arnica Radex
No. 12 - Bellae Fructas
No. 13 - Belladonna Radix
No. 14 - Belladonna Folia
No. 15 - Borax
No. 16 - Buchu Folia
No. 17 (3 bottles) - Calumbra Radix
No. 18 - Cambugia
No. 19 - Canella Alba Cortex
No. 20 - Cantharis
No. 21 - Cardamomum
No. 22 - Carvi Fructas
No. 23 - Caryophylleae
No. 24 - Catechic Pallidum
No. 25 - Cetaceum
No. 26 - Cetraria
No. 27 - Chirata
No. 28 - Cinchona [Harabortex]
No. 29 - Cinchona [Pallidabortex]
No. 30 - Cinchona [Rubrabortex]
No. 31 - Cinnamoni [Bortex]
No. 32 (3 bottles) - Colchici Cormus
No. 33 (3 bottles) - Colocynthidis Palpa
No. 34 - Conii Folia
No. 35 - Conii Fructas
No. 36 - Crocus
No. 37 - Cubeba
No. 38 - Cusparia Cortex
No. 39 - Cusso
No. 40 (3 bottles) - Digitalis Folia
No. 41 - Dulcamara
No. 42 (3 bottles) - Ergota
No. 43 - Felix Mas
No. 44 - Galbanum
No. 45 - Galla
No. 46 (3 bottles) - Gentiana Radix
No. 47 - Glycyrhiza Radix
No. 48 - Granti Radicis Cortex
No. 49 - Guaicaci Lignum
No. 50 - Guaiaci Resina
No. 51 - Haematoxyli Lignum
No. 52 - Hyoscyami Folia
No. 53 (3 bottles) - Ipecacuanha
No. 54 (3 bottles) - Jalapa
No. 55 (3 bottles) - Kino
No. 56 - Krameria Radix
No. 57 - Lobelia
No. 58 - Lapulus
No. 59 - Magnesia Sulphas
No. 60 - Manna
No. 61 - Mastichi
No. 62 - Matica Folia
No. 63 (3 bottles) - Nux Vomica
No. 64 (3 bottles) - Opium
No. 65 - Pareirae Radix
No. 66 - Papareris Capsula
No. 67 (3 bottles) - Physostigmatis Faba
No. 68 - Piper Nigrum
No. 69 - Pix Burgundica
No. 70 - Podophylli Radix
No. 71 (3 bottles) - Quassia Lignum
No. 72 - Quercus Cortex
No. 73 (2 bottles) - Rhei Radix
No. 74 - Sabrina Cacumina
No. 75 - Santonica
No. 76 - Sarzae Radix
No. 77 [no description of this item in volume]
No. 78 - Scammoniae Radix
No. 79 (3 bottles) - Scammoniae [Resmia]
No. 80 (3 bottles) - Scammonium
No. 81 (3 bottles) - Scilla
No. 82 - Senega Radix
No. 83 - Senna Alexandrina
No. 84 - Serpentariae Radix
No. 85 - Sinapis
No. 86 - Sulphur Precipitatum
No. 87 - Sulphur Sublimatum
No. 88 - Taraxaci Radex
No. 89 - Zingiber
The tray, volumes and medicines are now stored separately from the medicine chest.
19th century
Medicine chest (unknown owner)
Made of wood and brass. Contains glass bottles for medicine dispensed by a pharmacist on Princes Street, Edinburgh.
1820-1840
Medicine chest of Sir Stuart Threipland
This medicine chest was used by Dr Stuart Threipland to treat patients during the 1745 Jacobite rising, including at the Battle of Culloden, led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart. It is in a good state of preservation and holds a comprehensive range of medicines available during this time.
Sir Stuart Threipland (1716-1805) studied medicine at Edinburgh and was a founder member of the Medical Society of Edinburgh in 1737, later the Royal Medical Society. He graduated in 1742 and was accepted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1744. Threipland and his family were loyal supporters to the Jacobite cause. Threipland and his elder brother David joined the army of Prince Charles Edward Stuart in 1745 to support his attempt to reclaim the throne. Stuart was soon appointed Physician-in Chief to the Prince. He carried the medicine chest throughout the campaign.
The provenance of the chest is well documented. Threipland gave the chest to Mr Alexander Wood (1725-1805) whose son Dr George Wood left it to Dr John Smith. He then donated it to the College.
The chest measures 25cm square but is heavy as it contains approximately 147 products, many of which are glass bottles. The chest is hinged into two halves and also contains the brass lock key. The contents are further protected by sliding wooden panels which keep the medicines in place. The left hand section contains three bottles, four metal drums and six metal boxes. Below, there is a drawer which contains two ink wells, a pen holder, miscellaneous packets, glass tubes and further sixteen metal containers. A metal box contains a list headed 'Alphabetical catalogue and index to medicines with the box' and on the second page 'Alphabetical index to the medicine chest 1766.'
The right hand section holds sixteen bottles and four metal containers. Behind these two sections, accessible by a spring release, are four additional sections, two on each side. These hold a total of sixty-one glass containers and nine metal containers. Most forms of administration are represented, including gums, ointments, balsams, pills, tinctures, spirits and powders.
mid-18th century