Pharmaceutical history of the capuchin monastery in Prague-Hradãany part I. Monastic pharmacy

Abstract

Based on a profound examination and thorough evaluation of archival materials and preserved equipment, the article provides a unique perspective on the unknown history of pharmacy at the capuchin monastery in Prague-Hradčany. The intramural pharmacy was established around the year 1680, and was practised to 1822. The article identifies the capuchin pharmacists and their line of succession. Pharmaceutical literature from the monastic library is listed and described, including rare manuscripts. The preserved high baroque equipment of the pharmacy is described in detail, and an iconography analysis of the hidden meaning of its unique decoration is offered.