This chest is the typical mid-18th century model. Thought to have belonged to captain James Volum.

A medicine chest was a necessity for all sea journeys. Sometimes surgeons were onboard ships if there were passengers but on merchant ships, the captain had to be able able to look after his crew.

A medium size mahogany cabinet with four protruding feet, small free hinged handles on left and right sides which are positioned approximately 5/8ths up from the bottom of the item, these handles can hinge 100 degrees upwards. The front and back 6/8ths of the cabinet can hinge open, as can the top of. Both front and back doors can be locked closed with their own respective hook latch which is on both sides of the cabinet. The top lid can be locked by interacting with a metallic keyhole which is present on the front of the cabinet close to the top. Revealed by opening the top lit is storage location with two rows of three storage spaces and one row of four. Revealed by opening the front door, is a single shelf with six divided locations for an equal number of glass containers, though only five remain in complete form. Below this self are three rows of drawers of differing dimensions, each with a small white knob. There are two drawers of equal width in the first row. Each drawer has four equally divided sliding pieces on its top face. When removed, these lids reveal a respective small space. Present on small paper labels on each of these lids are identifiers of the material which was stored. There are three equally sized drawers in the second row, which are less wide than the previous row. Only two of the drawers in this row have lids, of which each only have a single lid which covers a single compartment, each of these have a single label on them. The middle drawer contains a small glass mortar and pestle which are restrained by small wooden fixtures within the drawer. There are two drawers of equal width and greater height than any of the previous drawers in the third row. The first drawer has a single compartment containing multiple vials of varying dimensions, some of which feature a paper label with a respective inscription. Some of these vials are broken. In the second drawer has no lid which covers its four equally sized glasses. These are restricted by a wooded piece with four circular cut-outs. Revealed by opening the back door are two equally sized and spaced shelves which both have four divided locations which are filled by eight respective glass containers. These glass containers are of similar design to those in the front compartment but are larger. Some of these glass jars have paper labels like those found on previous glass containers.

Label on top lid:

volum collection, medecine chest, portable furniture, geelong, peterhead, scotland, captain, seafaring, whaling, london, bishopsgate, old gravel lane, london docks, tobacco dock, james burrows

Small circular metal container which stores six smaller circular metal containers of decreasing size which fit into or stack on one another. There is a latch to secure the lid of the primary container. Each of the containers features a small divot at the centre of their base (on the top face), the fourth container has a hole where this divot would typically be. Found in the top container location of the parent item.

volum collection, apothecary, chemist, druggist, pharmacist, medicine

Small Bell shaped metal funnel with a large primary container which then is connected to a secondary elongated cylindrical portion with a narrow opening. Found in the top container location of the parent item.

volum collection

British apothecaries’ Weight (pre 1864) as a standard measurement unit was used commonly in was used in and until the second half of the 19th century.

A white circular cardboard container with a red lid and a paper label inscribed with the text “Weights” on top.

Weights

volum collection

This type of weights was used in the 19th century.

Eleven brass, square shaped weights cut roughly square and filed to correct weight

Front: Numeral with Unit in Script Lettering/Reverse: Apothecary Symbol

volum collection, weights, apothecary, pharmacy, medicine, drugs, medication

Nine weights made of a silver like material and are smaller in mass and size. These weights are all flat, rectangular pieces of metal each with a differing number of punched circles on them, likely to denote their mass.

volum collection

Square based glass container with a circular opening on the top and a paper label with the cursive text: Calcined Magnesium. Features a corresponding metal lid with a red cork protrusion on the bottom to seal the container. Found in the top container location of the parent item.

Calcined Magnesium

volum collection,

Square based glass container with a circular opening on the top and a paper label with the cursive text: Carbonate of Soda. Features a corresponding metal lid with a red cork protrusion on the bottom to seal the container. Found in the top container location of the parent item.

Carbonate of Soda

volum collection

Square based glass container with a circular opening on the top and a paper label with the cursive text : Epsom Salts. Features a corresponding metal lid with a red cork protrusion on the bottom to seal the container which is damaged revealing two metal hooks which are used to secure the cork piece to the lid. Found in the top container location of the parent item.

Epsom Salts

volum collection

Square based glass container with a circular opening on the top and a paper label with the text: ‘Cream of Tartar’. Features a corresponding metal lid with a red cork protrusion on the bottom to seal the container. Found in the top container location of the parent item.

Cream of Tartar

volum collection

Long wooden bar with rounded top,and sheered ends. It is used to secure cutting board (2118.10) in place.

volum collection

Ceramic cutting board with a smooth glossy top face which covers a raw rough object.

volum collection, medicine, chemist, pharmacist, druggist

Small balance scale

volum collection

Small glass container with a square base and an octagonal rim surrounding the circular opening on the top. Paper label with the text: ‘AEther’. Found within the front storage location of the parent item.

AEther

volum collection, medicine, chemist, apothecary, ether

Small glass container with a square base and an octagonal rim surrounding the circular opening on the top. Found within the front storage location of the parent item.

volum collection, medicine, chemist, apothecary

Small glass container with a square base and an broken octagonal rim surrounding the circular opening on the top. Found within the front storage location of the parent item.

volum collection, medicine, apothecary, chemist

Small glass container with a square base and an octagonal rim surrounding the circular opening on the top. Found within the front storage location of the parent item.

volum collection

Small glass container with a square base and an broken octagonal rim surrounding the circular opening on the top. Found within the front storage location of the parent item.

volum collection

Small spherical piece of glass, likely a broken part of a lid for another glass container, similar to those which it is located near, i.e., within the front storage location of the parent item.

volum collection

Small retractable steel blade with pointed tip protected by pair of tortoiseshell covers; blade marked with maker's name.

MCN

volum collection, lancet, blade, knife, vaccination, cutting, bleeding, bloodletting, thumb lancet

Large square based glass containers with a circular openings on their tops and some of which have a paper label with respective text depending on its contents. Each container is accompanied by a corresponding glass lid. These are found in the back storage location of the parent item.

volum collection,

Large square based glass containers with a circular openings on their tops and some of which have a paper label with respective text depending on its contents. Each container is accompanied by a corresponding glass lid. These are found in the back storage location of the parent item.

volum collection,

Large square based glass containers with a circular openings on their tops and some of which have a paper label with respective text depending on its contents. Each container is accompanied by a corresponding glass lid. These are found in the back storage location of the parent item.

volum collection,

Large square based glass containers with a circular openings on their tops and some of which have a paper label with respective text depending on its contents. Each container is accompanied by a corresponding glass lid. These are found in the back storage location of the parent item.

volum collection,

Large square based glass containers with a circular openings on their tops and some of which have a paper label with respective text depending on its contents. Each container is accompanied by a corresponding glass lid. These are found in the back storage location of the parent item.

volum collection,

Large square based glass containers with a circular openings on their tops and some of which have a paper label with respective text depending on its contents. Each container is accompanied by a corresponding glass lid. These are found in the back storage location of the parent item.

volum collection,

Large square based glass containers with a circular openings on their tops and some of which have a paper label with respective text depending on its contents. Each container is accompanied by a corresponding glass lid. These are found in the back storage location of the parent item.

volum collection,

Large square based glass containers with a circular openings on their tops and some of which have a paper label with respective text depending on its contents. Each container is accompanied by a corresponding glass lid. These are found in the back storage location of the parent item.

Howson Edwards, Chemist and Druggist, At the Glauber's Head, No.47, Old-Gravel-Lane, Ratcliff-Highway

volum collection,

Tartar Emetic was a powerful emetic used during the nineteenth and twentieth century, though, it had been known of since the middle ages, which was used to widely treat a variety of infections and aliments. However, this medicine was known to cause multiple serious side effects and would be discontinued from use by the mid to late twentieth century. Unknown chalk. Aperient Pills are a drug used to relieve constipation. Calomel was once used as a purgative to remove unwanted waste from one's body. Calomel is a mercurous chloride mineral and looks like a white powder. Unfortunately, when used in high does, which was common during its use in the eighteenth century, it caused many side effects due to it inducing mercury poisoning. Many of the side effects however, were perceived as the medicine working properly , which only perpetuated its use until it was eventually removed from medical practice in the nineteenth century, being determined that it was more harmful than remedial.

The left one of two marching medium sized wood drawers. Each drawer features four sliding lids on their top face which has a corresponding paper label depending on its contents as well as a small crescent notch, these lids slide laterally in pairs for either direction. These drawers are found in the front storage location of the parent item and bellow a row of glass containers.

Tartar Emetic ... Chalk Aperient Pills Calomel

volum collection, tartar emetic, calomel, aperient pills, laxatives, vomiting, digestion

Ipecacuan powder, or Dover's powder, was a common emetic used through the eighteenth and nineteenth century as a sudorific and prescribed for colds, coughs, insomnia, rheumatism, pleurisy, and dysentery. Gum arabic was often used as an additive to promote binding of other ingredients to a liquid medium. Likely gum arabic was not prescribed by itself even though there are some health benefits for doing so, such as slowing the rate of absorption of some drugs within the gut. Camphor was a stimulant, narcotic and sudorific and was administered in pill form which included part ipecacuanha and opium to non acute fevers and remedy chromic rheumatism, as part of a liquid mixture to treat violent headaches as well as rheumatism, or in a solid form stored in a small bag worn around a patient's neck as a preservative against infection. Lint was commonly used for medical dressings.

The right one of two marching medium sized wood drawers. Each drawer features four sliding lids on their top face which has a corresponding paper label depending on its contents as well as a small semi-circle notch, these lids slide laterally in pairs for either direction. These drawers are found in the front storage location of the parent item and bellow a row of glass containers.

Ipecacuan. Powder. Gum Arabic. Camphor. Lint.

volum collection

"Sena" is the medieval Latin and archaic spelling of "senna", which is used most often to treat constipation or to clear out a patients bowels before a medical procedure.

The left one of two marching small sized wood drawers. Each drawer features one sliding lid on their top face which has a corresponding paper label depending on its contents as well as a small semi-circle notch, these lids slide vertically in one direction. These drawers are found in the front storage location of the parent item and bellow a row of medium sized drawers.

Sena.

volum collection

Rochelle salts, or potassium sodium tartrate, are a type of tartaric acid which was used medically as a laxative similar to sena and tartar Emetic.

The right one of two marching small sized wood drawers. Each drawer features one sliding lid on their top face which has a corresponding paper label depending on its contents as well as a small semi-circle notch, these lids slide vertically in one direction. These drawers are found in the front storage location of the parent item and bellow a row of medium sized drawers.

Rochelle Salts

volum collection, medicine

The left one of two marching large sized wood drawers. This drawer features one sliding lid with no label, when removed is a space containing various types of vials. These drawers are found in the front storage location of the parent item and bellow a row of small sized drawers.

volum collection

The right one of two marching large sized wood drawers. This drawer features no sliding lid and no label. Stored within this drawer are four small glasses made of glass which are secured in place by a piece of wood with four circular cutouts. These drawers are found in the front storage location of the parent item and bellow a row of small sized drawers.

volum collection

One of four small glasses made of glass.

volum collection

One of four small glasses made of glass.

volum collection

One of four small glasses made of glass.

2118.25.4

volum collection

One of four small glasses made of glass.

volum collection

A lone drawer which sits in between two lightly smaller drawers on either side. This drawer features no sliding lid and no label. Stored within this drawer is a small mortar and pestle made of glass which are secured in place by a piece of wood, to which the pestle rests atop. This drawer is found in the front storage location of the parent item and bellow a row of small sized drawers.

volum collection

A small glass pestle which has an accompanying glass mortar. The striking end of the pestle is approximately twice as large than the end which is held.

volum collection

A small glass mortar which has an accompanying glass pestle. The mortar has a small notched tip, rounded rim and flat base.

volum collection