Medicine chest with contents belonging to Dr R. Willan, late 18th century

Made:
1751-1802 in Europe
Medicine chest with contents belonging to Dr R. Willan, late 18th century

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Beaded medicine chest with 14 cut glass bottles, medicine drinking glass, scales and weights, and alabaster mortar and pestle, 2nd half of 18th century with later beadwork on exterior, property of Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812).

Details

Category:
Materia Medica & Pharmacology
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A642792
Materials:
wood, tortoiseshell, cloth, glass, alabaster (calcium sulphate), metal (unknown), iron, bronze (copper, tin alloy), steel (metal), brass (copper, zinc alloy), paper (fibre product) and textile
Measurements:
overall: 170 mm x 260 mm x 255 mm,
type:
medicine chests, medicine bottle, materia medica, drinking glass, key - hardware, mortar, pestle, scales - weighing device, weights and pamphlets
credit:
Haldin-Davis

Parts

Wooden medicine chest with sixteen compartments and removable side panel leading to secret drawer with a piece of string to open it. Chest decorated with beadwork and lined with red fabric, with metal locking mechanism and later metal drop handles; lid supported by black ribbon when open. Beadwork on lid depicts Christ wearing a blue robe with black details, surrounded by plants, trees, and animals, with a manor house or church in the background. Beadwork on sides and back are floral pattern with fruit, insects, snails, and a bird on the lower back panel. Beadwork on the front depicts floral pattern with butterfly on edge of lid and unicorn on the main chest. Chest dated to second half of 18th century with later beadwork, property of Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812).

Beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan, late 18th century

Wooden medicine chest with sixteen compartments and removable side panel leading to secret drawer with a piece of string to open it. Chest decorated with beadwork and lined with red fabric, with metal locking mechanism and later metal drop handles; lid supported by black ribbon when open. Beadwork on lid depicts Christ wearing a blue robe with black details, surrounded by plants, trees, and animals, with a manor house or church in the background. Beadwork on sides and back are floral pattern with fruit, insects, snails, and a bird on the lower back panel. Beadwork on the front depicts floral pattern with butterfly on edge of lid and unicorn on the main chest. Chest dated to second half of 18th century with later beadwork, property of Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812).

Measurements:
overall: 170 mm x 260 mm x 255 mm,
Materials:
wood , tortoiseshell , cloth , glass , fibre (unidentified) , textile and complete
Object Number:
A642792/14
type:
medicine chests
Fourteen clear cut glass medicine bottles with cut glass stoppers, unlabelled, some containing residue. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Fourteen square cut glass medicine bottles, late 18th century

Fourteen clear cut glass medicine bottles with cut glass stoppers, unlabelled, some containing residue. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1
type:
medicine bottle and materia medica
Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle, empty, late 18th century

Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/1
type:
materia medica and medicine bottle
Part of:
A642792/1
Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing brown residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle with brown residue, late 18th century

Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing brown residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/2
type:
medicine bottle and materia medica
Part of:
A642792/1
Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle, empty, late 18th century

Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/3
type:
medicine bottle
Part of:
A642792/1
Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle, empty, late 18th century

Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/4
type:
medicine bottle
Part of:
A642792/1
Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing powdery brown residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle with brown residue, late 18th century

Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing powdery brown residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/5
type:
medicine bottle and materia medica
Part of:
A642792/1
Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing powdery brown residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle with brown residue, late 18th century

Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing powdery brown residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/6
type:
medicine bottle and materia medica
Part of:
A642792/1
Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle, empty, late 18th century

Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/7
type:
medicine bottle
Part of:
A642792/1
Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing a few flakes of brown powdery residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle with brown residue, late 18th century

Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing a few flakes of brown powdery residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/8
type:
medicine bottle and materia medica
Part of:
A642792/1
Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing white powdery residue in one corner, and brown powdery residue in the diagonally opposite corner, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle with white and brown residues, late 18th century

Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing white powdery residue in one corner, and brown powdery residue in the diagonally opposite corner, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/9
type:
medicine bottle and materia medica
Part of:
A642792/1
Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle, empty, late 18th century

Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/10
type:
medicine bottle
Part of:
A642792/1
Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing a few flakes of brown powdery residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle with brown residue, late 18th century

Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing a few flakes of brown powdery residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/11
type:
medicine bottle and materia medica
Part of:
A642792/1
Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle, empty, late 18th century

Empty, square, clear cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/12
type:
medicine bottle
Part of:
A642792/1
Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing white powder residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle with white powder residue, late 18th century

Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing white powder residue, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/13
type:
medicine bottle and materia medica
Part of:
A642792/1
Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing a single large, brown flake of previous contents, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Unlabelled medicine bottle containing a brown flake, late 18th century

Square, clear, cut glass medicine bottle with cut glass stopper containing a single large, brown flake of previous contents, unlabelled. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 90 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/1/14
type:
medicine bottle and materia medica
Part of:
A642792/1
Clear drinking glass with cut-glass decoration. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Drinking medicine glass with cut-glass decoration, late 18th century

Clear drinking glass with cut-glass decoration. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 57 mm
Materials:
complete and glass
Object Number:
A642792/2
type:
drinking glass
Metal key for a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Key for a medicine chest belonging to Dr R. Willan, late 18th century.

Metal key for a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 43 mm
Materials:
iron and complete
Object Number:
A642792/3
type:
key
Cream-coloured alabaster mortar with groove around outer rim. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Alabaster pharmacy mortar from Dr. Willan's medicine chest

Cream-coloured alabaster mortar with groove around outer rim. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 35 mm
Materials:
complete , stone and alabaster (calcium sulphate)
Object Number:
A642792/4
type:
mortar
Cream-coloured alabaster pestle, from a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr .R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Alabaster pestle from Dr Willan's medicine chest

Cream-coloured alabaster pestle, from a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr .R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 57 mm
Materials:
stone , alabaster (calcium sulphate) and complete
Object Number:
A642792/5
type:
pestle
Metal scales consisting of steel beam with two bronze pans attached by green string. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Apothecary balance from Dr. Willan's medicine chest

Metal scales consisting of steel beam with two bronze pans attached by green string. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
pans (each): 51 mm,
beam: 131 mm
Materials:
complete , fibre (unidentified) , steel (metal) and bronze (copper, tin alloy)
Object Number:
A642792/6
type:
scales - weighing device
Brass six grain weight consisting of foil square with six circles punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Brass six-grain apothecary weight, late 18th century

Brass six grain weight consisting of foil square with six circles punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 18 mm x 18 mm,
Materials:
brass (copper, zinc alloy) and complete
Object Number:
A642792/7
type:
weight
Brass five grain weight consisting of foil square with five circles punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Brass five-grain apothecary weight, late 18th century

Brass five grain weight consisting of foil square with five circles punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 7 mm x 7 mm,
Materials:
complete and brass (copper, zinc alloy)
Object Number:
A642792/8
type:
weight
Brass four grain weight consisting of foil square with four circles punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Brass four-grain apothecary weight, late 18th century

Brass four grain weight consisting of foil square with four circles punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 15 mm x 15 mm,
Materials:
brass (copper, zinc alloy) and complete
Object Number:
A642792/9
type:
weight
Brass three grain weight consisting of foil square with three circles punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Brass three-grain apothecary weight, late 18th century

Brass three grain weight consisting of foil square with three circles punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 14 mm x 14 mm,
Materials:
complete and brass (copper, zinc alloy)
Object Number:
A642792/10
type:
weight
Brass two grain weight consisting of foil square with two circles punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Brass two-grain apothecary weight, late 18th century

Brass two grain weight consisting of foil square with two circles punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 11 mm x 11 mm,
Materials:
complete and brass (copper, zinc alloy)
Object Number:
A642792/11
type:
weight
Brass one grain weight consisting of foil square with one circle punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Brass one-grain apothecary weight, late 18th century

Brass one grain weight consisting of foil square with one circle punched into it. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 9 mm x 9 mm,
Materials:
complete and brass (copper, zinc alloy)
Object Number:
A642792/12
type:
weight
Four-page pamphlet titled 'Dr. James's Powder for Fevers, and all Inflammatory Disorders', printed by Smart and Cowslade, Reading, England. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Pamphlet for Dr James's Fever Powder

Four-page pamphlet titled 'Dr. James's Powder for Fevers, and all Inflammatory Disorders', printed by Smart and Cowslade, Reading, England. From a beaded medicine chest belonging to Dr. R. Willan (1757-1812), late 18th century.

Measurements:
overall: 246 mm x 189 mm
Materials:
paper (fibre product)
Object Number:
A642792/13
type:
pamphlet

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