Apothecary to Chemist
From home remedies to pharmacies
The first instance of medical care in Chinnor by Richard Felloes, (spelt Fellers) Professor of Pysick at Oxford University who grew and collected his medicinal herbs in Crowell Wood and died in either 1704 or 1716. In 1801 the death of Benjamin Copeland 1758 - 1800, described as an 'apothecary of Chinnor' was reported in the Oxford Journal. He had apparently died in December 1800 in straightened circumstances having contracted a fever whilst administering to the poor of the Parish.
Later the Reverend Howman, rector of Chinnor Parish from 1875, who in addition to providing food and blankets to the poor of the Parish, also mixed his own simple medicines himself. This was not an unusual role for a rural clergyman. In 1838 Frederick Scrimshire published The Village Pastor's medical and Surgical Guide.
The priest could be situated in a village some miles away from medical help and the priest could expect to be summoned in cases of accident or illness and to deal with emergency. The guide covers the treatment of a range of medical conditions including haemorrhage, poisoning and signs of death, to childhood fevers and chronic ailments. In the 1870s there were at least three instances of clergymen qualifying and practising as doctors.
Herbal medicine, could be obtained freely from locally harvested plants.
Medicinal plants growing in the Chinnor parish churchyard and would have been freely available to residents.
Home Remedies
Against this background of limited medication home remedies were employed. Some of these remedies are recounted here.
Jim Rose remembers his mother visiting the sick in the nearby villages taking a basket containing items such as calves foot jelly (very nutritious), goose grease for rubbing on the chest and homemade butter and farm eggs.
Chinnor residents recalled a range of home remedies which included in addition to the over the counter remedies, a number of home remedies for example raw eggs in hot milk, bread and milk, hot water and black current jam for colds, camphorated oil for chests and eucalyptus oil. John Neighbour recalled goose grease for chests and Rodney Turner mentioned friar's balsam again for chest infection. Jean Braginton remembered hot lemon and honey for sore throats, feet in mustard and cold water whilst others were told to 'get on with it'
Mr W. Brazell, who was a general merchant, listed in Kelly's Directory during the 1930s sold patented medicines, and Kelly's Directory also listed a Mr Ball MPS as a chemistin 1928 and 1931 although, in general, the local doctors made up their own prescriptions. John Neighbour recalled a shop in Station Road run by a Miss Hicks in the 1930s and 1940s which sold sweets, drinks on one side and over the counter medicines and her own medications consisiting of bottles of p;ink liquid on the other.
Self-sufficiency was key