By Historical Society

Historical Medicine

Jun 27, 2013 | 9:20 AM

Medicine sold in Prince Albert in 1886

Have you ever wondered what kind of medicine doctors in the late 1800s prescribed? Here at the Prince Albert Museum we have a cabinet filled with empty bottles of medicine that were sold and used at the local drug store. What did our ancestor use to treat sore throats, high blood pressure, angina and acne in Prince Albert? What were some of the antiseptics and antispasmodic drugs that were used?

In 1886, doctors prescribed mustard plasters for bronchial pneumonia, and powdered alum to treat sore throats. Veratrum Viride is a plant based drug that was used to lower blood pressure; it is no longer used because it is believed to be too toxic. Instead today doctors prescribe beta-blockers like Blocadren and Cartrol to slow down the heart. In the cabinet we also see Nitroglycerin that was prescribed to treat anginas, a heart condition. Salicylic Acid was used to treat skin disorders like acne. Both of these drugs are still used today.

Moreover, we find that doctors used Boric Acid and Cocaine Hydrochloride as antiseptics. Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied on skin to reduce its risk of developing infections. Boric Acid is still used today, they are in suppositories, and used as an antiviral to shorten the life of cold sores.

The most surprising empty bottle that we find in the cabinet is Cocaine Hydrochloride. Cocaine was used as a surgical and local anesthesia so that the patient would not feel pain during small procedures.

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Later it was acknowledged that cocaine can be very addictive, and that it is toxic for humans therefore its usage in the medical world became very limited. Finally there is a bottle of Tr. Belladonna which was used as an antispasmodic to treat colic in infants. Antispasmodic means that it subdues muscles spasms.

All in all, these are just a few of the medication that were sold at the local drug store in Prince Albert in 1886. As you can see some are still used today, but many are no longer used because they are toxic to humans. These items are now in the medical cabinet on the second floor of the Prince Albert Historical Museum.

Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17687926
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicylic_acid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitroglycerin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiseptic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrum_viride
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_anesthesia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antispasmodic
http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/high-blood-pressure-medicine-how-can-it-help-you