If you like history and slightly gory things like I do. You will love the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. It’s filled with a lot of apothecary jars filled with their original content. As well as crude medical instruments that look like torture devices.
Such as saws, clamps and a tonsil guillotine. Most of these would have been used without anesthetics. The tonsil guillotine was considered a right of passage into adulthood for children at the time.
Pharmacists were just like doctors
Back in those days, pharmacists were much like the doctors we have today. You would go see a pharmacist, describe your ailment and he would sell you a concoction for it. Since there were no laws on narcotic drugs, people could go to their local pharmacist to buy things such as opium and cocaine. Really strange remedies were used such as arsenic and mercury to treat syphilis. Being these are toxic chemicals, it seems like they would do more harm than good. Children were given cocaine for toothaches. Opium soaked tampons were prescribed for menstrual cramps. It seems like, under these conditions, just about everyone would have been either drunk, high or in withdrawal back then.
Wealthy people could have their pills coated in gold or silver. However little did they know that coating the pill in gold or silver rendered it useless. The body cannot digest gold or silver and these pills would have simply passed through the system.
Bloodletting was common back then. It was thought to rid the body from “poisoned” blood or “excess” blood. So leeches were commonly used to treat all sorts of ailments as they were believed to get rid of the “poisoned blood”
Why were pharmacists so important?
In the 1800’s New Orleans was a prosperous port. However, that also brought in a lot of diseases like yellow fever. The humid environment and mosquitos made it the perfect spreading grounds for diseases. Medicine quickly became very important in the city. Back then, most medical potions were just a mix of different herbs with alcohol that would disguise the symptoms rather than cure them.
Fun Facts
- The soda fountain was invented by pharmacists to disguise the strong herbal or chemical taste of medicines.
- The bubbles were thought to have a curative effect much like water from mineral springs.
- Coca-cola, Pepsi, 7-up, and Dr.pepper were all invented by pharmacists and sold as tonics.
- The 1853 soda fountain pictured above is still functional, however, the pipes are made of lead and the soda would be toxic.
Americas’ First Pharmacist Worked here.
Louis J. Dufilho, Jr. was America’s first licensed pharmacist in 1816. Dufilho’s most significant contributions to the field of pharmacy history and integrity took place here in New Orleans in 1816. Dufilho practiced here until 1855, the place was then sold to Dr. Joseph Dupas for $18,000 who lived here until he died of syphilis complications in 1867. This is why you will see a medical exhibit on the second floor.
The ghost
According to local legend. Dupas “imposed shocking experiments on pregnant slaves”. As well as voodoo rites. He would dispose of the bodies by a trap door that leads to the carriage house. As a result, Dr. Joseph Dupas is believed to haunt the place. He can sometimes be seen in a brown suit with a matching trenchcoat. He has a mustache and he is pretty short and stocky. Sadly I did not see him during my visit.
Directions
New Orleans Historical Pharmacy Museum
514 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
From Jackson Square, walk southwest on Chartres street for two and a half blocks. The destination is on your left. Between St.Louis St. and Toulouse St.
Accommodations
There are accommodations all over New Orleans. My link will search through all the online sites to find you the best price available.
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