Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 251, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 October 1911 — ANOTHER LONDON RELIC LOST [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER LONDON RELIC LOST

Apothecaries’ Hall, Quaint Old Building, to Be Supplanted by a More Modern Structure. London. —Old London, which Is disappearing rapidly before the march of improvement, Is about to lost one of its most Interesting buildings, the Apothecaries company having an nounced that it Is about to let on building lease the greater part of Its land In Water Lane, just round the corner from Printing House square, where the London Times Is published This land Is the site of Apothecaries' hall, a quaint old building now almost hidden from sight by the tall business structures that surround it Apothecaries’ hall was first built In 1633* on the site of Lady Howard of Effingham’s town house. This building was destroyed in the great tire of London and the present hall was erected in 1670. It doesn’t amount to much architecturally, but it is packed full of fine carvings, splendid old furniture

and Interesting relics of the development of medicine. The Apothecaries company is one of the great London companies whose: members elect the aiderman and the lord mayor. It Is the only one that has retained control of the trade whose name it bears. Originally the apothecaries belonged to the Grovers’ company, but in 1617 they obtained a separate charter from King James L on the ground that “the ignorance and rashness of promiscuous empirics and inexpert men may be restrained, whereby many discommodities, inconveniences and perils do arise to the rude and credulous people." This charter gave the members of the company the sole right of “exercising the art faculty or mystery of an apothecary within the city of London or a radius of seven miles." Among other privileges it granted the company /the right to burn before the offender'* door all impure drugs. Even In those days the prescribing druggist was a problem, and in 1687 the College of Physicians denounced the Apothecaries company for selling advice as well as medicine. The company retaliated by setting up a medical school, and in 1721 the house of lords confirmed the right of its members to prescribe as well as to sell drugs. Many a father of medicine In the American colonies undoubtedly learned his profession in this school.