An apothecary’s shop, in a surgeon’s manuscript

This illustration is found in a manuscript made for a surgeon about 700 years ago. It shows an apothecary – a medical professional, equivalent to a modern pharmacist – working in his shop. He is probably the figure standing in the centre, who has handed a striped jar to his customer. Hanging from the ceiling is a dish used for mixing the ingredients. The later owners of this manuscript included King Henry VIII of England and the collector and physician, Sir Hans Sloane, one of the founders of the British Museum. Shown here: ff. 49v–50r