Newfoundland & Labrador
Pharmacy Museum

This small log book tells the story of an interesting function pharmacists filled in the early days of the 20th century. While many of the base materials used to create medicine can be toxic in the wrong amount, there was a time when pharmacists sold true poison.

 

This book demonstrates the safety precautions put in place in order to ensure responsible usage of these poisonous products. Each purchaser was required to list their name, their address, the amount and type of poison purchased, and their reason for buying it. Many of the addresses in this book are from communities outside of St. John’s, which shows us that people came from far and wide to access the services of local pharmacies.