Medicine Chest
Daten. d.
MediumMedicine Chest: mahogany with ivory knobs, brass hinges and escutcheons;
Bottles: glass and plastic;
Scale Set: balance - steel; plates - brass; weights - brass;
Tweezers: steel and ivory;
Key: Steel
DimensionsMedicine Chest: 13 3/4 × 11 11/16 × 7 3/8 inches (34.9 × 29.7 × 18.7 cm)
Open: 13 3/4 × 23 1/8 × 7 3/8 inches (34.9 × 58.7 × 18.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of H. Rees Mitchell.
Object number1987.9.1-.27
CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextThis mahogany medicine, or apothecary, chest has brass escutchions and ivory knobs. Two front doors open to display compartments with bottles. The left side shelves are labelled "DRUG AND/ Dye Stuffs"; on the right-side "MEDICINE/ Chemicals". There are many dividers, compartments, and drawers filled with bottles, tweezers, a steel balance scale and weights, and a key.
An article from MESDA suggests that a chest of this type, with this amount of space to contain medicine and instruments, was surely made for a plantation society. Only a person either using a large number of various remedies of different drugs or tending to a large quantity of people dealing with various ailments, would need this chest. The life of an apothecary who served the countryside of plantations was often hectic due to the large numbers of people per plantation and the vast areas that needed to be covered.When apothecaries visited plantations they would often stay for days at a time tending to large numbers of individuals including the enslaved workers.
