Medicine Without Physicians: A History of Home Remedies

Medicine Chests

A small wooden box with brass fixtures and red velvet lining that contains 56 small bottles, stood upright, with corks and labels in individual compartments in addition to four larger bottles, with corks and labels, and one large large bottle.

A  late 19th century homeopathic medicine chest.

This homeopathic medicine chest provides some insight to some of the structure and diversity that existed in self-help practices and highlights the existence of tools and commercial goods which people used when tending to themselves.

Homeopathy was a form of alternative medicine that originated from the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. It was popularly adopted by the culturally elite and upper class in the United States through the nineteenth century. While other objects on display demonstrate the use of domestic medicine by poor and working individuals, homeopathic medicine allows us to understand that the tradition of self-help persisted across all social and economic classes.

Small flip-top mahogany medicine chest lined with red velvet with brass handle and one drawer. Includes empty glass bottles with glass stoppers, scales and weights.

Undated small mahogany medicine chest with glass bottles and brass instruments.

Small flip-top mahogany medicine chest lined with red velvet with brass handle and one drawer. Includes empty glass bottles with glass stoppers, scales and weights.

The History of Medicine Artifacts Collection contains several other medicine chests made of various materials. While some are simple, the custom glass bottles and their corresponding compartments are indicative of the investment in craftsmanship, time, and money that would have gone into both making and buying these medicine chests. A handful of these other medicine chests are shown on this page.

A portable leather medicine chest with matching leather shoulder strap from Philadelphia, Lentz & Sons, Co. Filled with empty glass bottles with glass stoppers (no content, no labels).

Leather traveling medicine chest, approximately 1900, with numerous empty glass bottles.

A portable leather medicine chest with matching leather shoulder strap from Philadelphia, Lentz & Sons, Co. Filled with empty glass bottles with glass stoppers (no content, no labels).
Folding rosewood medicine chest with red velvet lining, mother of pearl inlay, and silver hardware made in England from the nineteenth century. Contains multiple glass bottles with matching stoppers that contain residue and tools for medicine preparation including a mother of pearl balance, brass weights, graduate, funnel, mortar and pestle, and other miscellaneous instruments.

Nineteenth century rosewood medicine chest with mother of pearl inlay. Bottles still contains residue and instruments include a mother of pearl balance, brass weights, graduate, funnel, mortar and pestle, and other miscellaneous instruments.

Folding rosewood medicine chest with red velvet lining, mother of pearl inlay, and silver hardware made in England from the nineteenth century. Contains multiple glass bottles with matching stoppers that contain residue and tools for medicine preparation including a mother of pearl balance, brass weights, graduate, funnel, mortar and pestle, and other miscellaneous instruments.

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