Literary notes about apothecary (AI summary)
The term “apothecary” in literature is used as a versatile symbol of medical practice that often reflects the social and cultural attitudes toward health, science, and commerce. In many works, the apothecary is depicted as a practical, sometimes crotchety, professional whose expertise in preparing medicines becomes a linchpin for both everyday and extraordinary circumstances—ranging from supplying critical remedies and even poisons [1, 2] to serving as vital points of social interaction and commentary [3, 4]. At times, the apothecary embodies both the dignity of a learned tradesman and the quirks of a local fixture, capable of stirring humor or sympathy in narratives that span from satirical exchanges to life-and-death emergencies [5, 6]. This multifaceted presence underscores a broader literary tradition in which the apothecary not only administers cures but also mirrors the evolving complexity of medical and social practices in historical contexts [7, 8, 9].
- Give me some drink; and bid the apothecary Bring the strong poison that I bought of him.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - “Write me the prescription, and take it to the only apothecary who can make it up.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - The doctor was sent for—the apothecary arrived.
— from Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray - to be a poet, and to reap the success of an apothecary!
— from Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo - I will turn doctor; apothecary also, if you like.
— from The Imaginary Invalid by Molière - He now rang the bell, and sent for a neighboring apothecary with whom to consult in the emergency.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - He was some time a student in the university of Cambridge, and soon after was bound apprentice to an Apothecary.
— from The Complete Herbal by Nicholas Culpeper - Sir Humphry Davy achieved eminence in spare moments in an attic of an apothecary's shop.
— from Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden - I do remember an apothecary, And hereabouts 'a dwells, which late I noted In tatt'red weeds, with overwhelming brows, Culling of simples.
— from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
