Things You'll Need:
- Library card
- Computer with Internet access
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Step 1
Be a detective. To learn about the history of apothecaries, you need to be able to search the Internet thoroughly, with an eye for detail. The "Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London" Web site will give you a glimpse of some apothecary history (see Resources below).
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Step 2
Research the history of the pharmacy, the history of herbal medicine and the history of monasteries, which often grew herbs in "physic gardens." Nearly every civilization has used herbs and plants as medicines, treating everything from infertility to pain to infection. These histories will help broaden and deepen your understanding of apothecary's place in history.
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Step 3
Consider the etymology of the word "apothecary," which comes from the Latin "apotheca" and even earlier from the Greek "apothéké." Originally, it meant a "storehouse for spices, wines and herbs." Later, it came to mean a person who stocked and sold all kinds of herbs for medicine, cosmetics and other uses.
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Step 4
Curl up with a good book. You'll learn a lot by reading Joan Lane's "A Social History of Medicine: Health, Healing and Disease in England, 1750-1950" (see Resources below).
