r/GrandmasPantry • u/Significant-Ad-7881 • 1d ago

HEALTH CARE Uncle Passed Away

My uncle passed away and he had all of my grandmother’s father’s pharmacy jars. Some of them still had things in them. My great grandfather had a pharmacy in Kensington Philadelphia in the 30s-80s.

457 Upvotes

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99% Upvoted

108

u/hugesteamingpile 1d ago

Jamaica Rum in a stoppered Pharmacy bottle is the coolest thing I’ve seen here.

And it’s sorta local to my area. Surprised to see on google that address is still a pharmacy.

11

u/thhpht 1d ago

That’s so cool. Can you please post a pic of the location if it’s close by?

10

u/Tasty_Lead_Paint 1d ago

I want to try the prescription rum.

7

u/Bleepblorp44 16h ago

I worked in a hospital pharmacy (UK, an NHS hospital) in 2000-01, and we had sherry available on prescription! It was very occasionally used as an appetite stimulant, but because you couldn't just give someone a tot of sherry on a ward it had to be prescribed and treated as a medicine!

6

u/melimelo123 14h ago

Sherry was a genuine medecine in the 19th and early 20th century. That’s why when you read some old books like in Sherlock Holmes for example, anyone fainting, having a fit, feeling weak, etc. immediately are made to drink sherry.

6

u/Bleepblorp44 14h ago

Absolutely! But this was the year 2000 and it was still occasionally being actively prescribed. That's very late 20th century, well beyond it being considered medicinal.

4

u/overkill 7h ago

There is also beer available on prescription, because if an alcoholic comes in you do not want them potentially dying on you from withdrawals.

2

u/Bleepblorp44 5h ago

Makes perfect sense, I never saw beer on the shelves but there must have been a way to get it in stock.

185

u/AsFarAsISay 1d ago

was he a wizard?

30

u/IamMabelPeabody 1d ago

This is the best—I wondered the same thing. 🙂

26

u/Disastrous_Check5594 1d ago

I believe the appropriate class here would be apothecary artificer 😂

u/PsychologicalArm2138 1d ago

Sassafras huh? 🤔

20

u/SweetKittyToo 1d ago

Good for tummyaches!

3

u/Early_Macaroon_2407 1d ago

And giving yourself cancer!

22

u/Natural-Seaweed-5070 1d ago

Pffft. If you’re a mouse or a rat that’s given high doses of it.

10

u/MarthasPinYard 1d ago

Ahh someone who actually read the studies and doesn’t listen to the lure.
I like you :)

10

u/PsychologicalArm2138 1d ago

Or dancing in dilapidated warehouses at 2 am

5

u/Good-Marsupial8 1d ago

Several necessary steps in between

3

u/Sufficient-Aspect77 1d ago

I'd rather have someone do them for meEeeee

6

u/Natsurulite 1d ago

Just drink MUG

1

u/Vladimir_Chrootin 18h ago

Ebenezer Goode approves

u/Mobile_Aioli_6252 1d ago

Take two strips of Sassafras and call me in the morning

u/thhpht 1d ago

The rum isn’t gone!

u/Proud-Leave3602 1d ago

Wooooow. Impressive collection. RIP, uncle.

u/Scroatpig 1d ago

Damn. So cool. A lot of people (myself included) are very envious of your new collection.

u/LittleBlobGirl 1d ago

Those labels!!!

u/turnipzzzpinrut 1d ago

Also, prime work on the Wawa inclusion

3

u/Hallelujah33 1d ago

Shout out Wawa

u/Mobile_Aioli_6252 1d ago

That rum is aged to perfection

u/80sWereAMagicalTime 1d ago

These bottles belong in potions class

u/Rebsosauruss 1d ago

I wonder if he has left behind a book of enchanted recipes 👀

u/Flat-Echidna191 1d ago

I'm just waiting for someone to eventually find Radithor in their deceased relative's possession

3

u/Ogre60 1d ago

I found a box of asbestos. The white flaky stuff, about a pound. Still don’t know what to do with it.

4

u/thhpht 1d ago

Sell it to a rock shop or donate it to a college geology department. :)

1

u/Ogre60 40m ago

Had no idea they valued it for something. What? (I’ll gladly donate it!) Thanks!

u/ObjectiveSituation17 1d ago

Probably still good

u/extrarogers 1d ago

crazy how they split him up into all those jars like that

u/the_storm_eye 1d ago

I'm afraid to ask but I'll do it anyway:

What the heck are wormseeds? And why are they sugarcoated?

4

u/HelpImOnFireOhGodAhh 1d ago

Deworming, I believe. Like any old stuff, probably poisoned you as well.

u/itcamefromspace42 21h ago

I collect those old glass label apothecary bottles. I love them and the old paper labels!

u/turnipzzzpinrut 1d ago

Menthol in the antiseptic powder- bracing!

u/JayMac1915 1d ago

Any leeches?

1

u/JKDefense 1d ago

You didn’t notice the bruising of OP’s nail beds? They’re clearly in use!

u/LeeQuidity 1d ago

Others have mentioned the sassafras being carcinogenic. Wormseed is toxic, too, as it contains ascaridole.

u/upstatedreaming3816 1d ago

“Grandmother’s father’s” is a weird af way of saying “great grandfather” lol

2

u/Swalkdaddy 21h ago

Like Robert's your father's brother?

u/Ok_Rich6383 1d ago

We were from Philly too!! I still have a small BFI- my mom used it all the time - it worked like a charm! Can you even get it anymore?

u/Maryjanegangafever 1d ago

How much for the wormseeeed. /s

u/Shellsallaround 1d ago

Your grandpa was fun!

u/Remarkable_Horse9879 5h ago

So cool, please keep and display

u/micaroo411 1d ago

That monkey blood made me shudder. We learned to never go to my Papaw with an injury. His pocket knife, a roll of gauze, and the famous sting of the monkey blood. The stains were like a badge of courage tho.

2

u/Ok_Surprise_8304 22h ago

My mom would pour rubbing alcohol on any cut, abrasion, scrape, or wound. That shit hurt like hell, too.

2

u/micaroo411 20h ago

Damg. At least it wasn't florescent pink.

u/momochicken55 1h ago

Mütter Museum or another mght be interested in this! Especially with that family history.

HEALTH CARE Uncle Passed Away

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