Homeopathic medicine chest, Europe, 1801-1900

Medicine chest with leather casing, containing 40 labelled glass phials of homoeopathic medicines, 19th century

Homeopathy relies on the idea that ‘like cures like’. For instance, if you are vomiting, your treatment will be something that causes vomiting but in a smaller, much diluted dose. There are forty different vials of treatments in this book-like medicine chest, all with handwritten labels. One of the labels reads “Ignatia”. This is a homeopathic treatment used to help with emotional problems and grief, which can cause trembling and agitation. Ignatia seeds affect the nervous system and cause the same effects.