Description: WOW! Own a truly rare and valuable pharmacy item worthy of being the centerpiece of a museum display ... ~ Complete ~ Lilly's Collection of Crude Drugs 3 drawer wood apothecary cabinet with 216 cardboard boxes that all include the original crude drug specimens! There are leaves, flower blooms, insects, sticks, bark, roots, powder substances and resins. I opened every single drawer to make sure all the samples are there. Refer to the pictures of box backs to find out each and every crude drug it contains. Of interest, it contains Spanish fly (yes -- real flies!), nux vomica, belladonna leaves, myrrh, and more! CONDITION: Refer to the multiple pictures. The cabinet is made of wood and has the original finish. All 216 boxes are present and each contain their original contents! (I personally opened and checked each one) Some of the boxes appear more worn than others. This was packaged in the 1920-30's after all! The smell - AMAZING! When you open a drawer this cabinet smells like old herbs and spices -- It does NOT smell of mildew or mold. Approximate cabinet dimensions: 14.75" wide, 11.75" deep, 13.25" tall. Each drawer holds 72 cardboard boxes and each box contains of description of what it contains on the bottom. This IS the absolute "Crown Jewel" of any pharmacy, pharmacology, apothecary or medical collection. A great conversation piece and the perfect gift for the pharmacist or physician who has everything! There have been only a few of these sold in the last 5 years -- and this one is complete! Crude contents are for collectible value and should not be consumed or used for any reason. Seller assumes no responsibility for purity of contents. This is for collectible and collector use only. If you have ANY QUESTIONS, if you need ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, please ask. SHIPPING: This will be shipped very securely padded and packed. It will be insured for full value and will require an adult signature for delivery. Here is a description of why this cabinet was produced. It was intended for pharmacy and medical students as they studied pharmacognosy -- the science of drugs obtained from crude substances. "In the late 19th to early 20th century, drug manufacturers in the United States initially sold drugs in crude form (leaves, roots, rhizomes, etc.) and the practicing pharmacist was often required to manipulate the crude drugs to obtain their active constituents and fabricate the drugs into suitable dosage forms. Many of these crude drugs were plant-based, but some, such as cantharis, were obtained from insects. To ensure that they were stocking quality goods, early pharmacists were expected to know how to identify crude drugs based upon their physical characteristics. The Pharmaceutical Syllabus even went so far as to list which roots, rhizomes, barks, leaves, fruits and seeds, were those that students of pharmacy should be able to identify. To assist medical and pharmacy students in the study of pharmacognosy, several pharmaceutical companies offered collections of crude drugs ( top photo on right ). These collections included crude drugs listed in the United States Pharmacopeia and in common use at the time. Each crude drug was in its own box or tin for students to identify , with a key included for identification (bottom photo on right ). From 1898 to 1919, Eli Lilly offered the “Student’s Collection of Official Organic Drugs” (later renamed “Student’s Collection of Official Crude Drugs”) which contained 172 specimens, each in its own cardboard box. In 1919, the Collection cost $15, which is equivalent to approximately $200 today. In 1920, the collection was expanded to include 216 specimens. Eli Lilly continued to offer this collection until 1931." (Excerpted from the "History of Pharmacy SIG" Newsletter, Spring 2014 Edition) Thanks for looking!
Price: 1995 USD
Location: Alexandria, Kentucky
End Time: 2024-11-16T01:22:34.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
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Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Time Period Manufactured: Pre-1930