Pharmacy museum — Lviv — Traveling in the Carpathians / Ukraine / Lviv region / Lviv and surroundings

BELOW BLACK EAGLE Antique Pharmacy Museum

Description:

Among unique stone buildings in ancient blocks of Lviv surrounding Market Square there is a distinguished one inside of which the oldest Lviv chemist's has been working for almost 3 centuries. It was opened in 1732 by a military pharmaceutist Notorpom. In 1966 on the basic of this ancient chemist's the historical museum of parmacy was founded. In 1972 it was given the rank of the national museum.

Inside one can admire an ancient interior of a trading hall, well survived polychromy paintings on the ceiling symbolising 4 main components of the universe: flame, water, earth and air alone by viennese painters at the beginning of the 19th century

In the trading hall on a prescription desk there are 3 chemist's scales installed. The posts of these scales are used as electric candlesticks now. Ancient cash registers are represented here too. In the chemist's one can see a unique collection of pharmacy plates and dishes for keeping different medicines and drugs - ceramic amphoras of ХV-ХVI centuries shtanglasses made of porcelain, pottery, glass and wood, various pharmacy mortars made of stone, cast-iron, porcelain, copper, marble and agate.

There is a big exposition of samples of the first manual apparatuses for making tablets and pills, various presses for producing juice from medical plant raw materials, drying cupboards, a rare collection of measuring devices.

In the museum one can find very valuable documentary exhibits. Among them there are receipt registers, documentary materials about the activity of the Halutske pharmacists society, founded in 1868, photos of its founders', original diplomas of doctors and pharmacicts of XIX-XX centuries.

There is a big library famous for its bookish treasure. It has got over 1000 ancient medical books, over 2000 excellent samples of periodical pharmacy literature. The Vjurtemberska pharmocopoeia of 1778, the textbook by Halen of 1788, the pharmaceutical dictionary of German edition of 1778.

In Lviv chemist's museum you can visit an alchemical laboratory, a brewer's cellar, an internal yard — the only object in Lviv where they managed to reconstruct a dwelling tradesman's house ХVI-XVII centuries.