The suggestion is put forward that the apothecary of the period is under valued and that his true worth to the science of his day and to his community has been incorrectly assessed by medical historians. In this re-assessment the genesis of the apothecary and his relationship with other branches of medicine are described. His own contribution to the development of the general practitioner, pharmacist, and chemist is examined, as is his scientific contribution to the emerging disciplines of botany and chemistry as well as to medicine itself. The problem of determining the type of work in which the apothecary of the day, in both London and the provinces, was engaged is discussed and a tentative conclusion drawn as to how it changed during the course of the century. His educational standards and the opportunities he had to obtain this education are important to the realisation of the apothecary's position, and some idea is garnered from contemporary letters and memoranda. The necessity for self-education is pointed out, which happily often resulted' in many apothecaries retaining a keen interest in spheres not directly related to the winning of 'mere bread and butter'. Monetarily his position was usually sound and an examination of the premiums paid for apprenticeship show that he belonged to the more favoured sections of the community. is status, both socially and economically, his background, associates and social life are investigated, and the lives of a number of apothecaries such as John Conyers, Thomas Bott and Lewis Dickenson, who have left us more of their documents than is usual, are examined in close detail. The conclusion is drawn that the initial hypothesis is valid.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:450256 |
| Date | January 1979 |
| Creators | Burnby, J. G. L. |
| Publisher | University College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1349181/ |
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