2023-11-17 17:38:13
MEDICINE STORIES – In the courtyard of the former mansion of the Menier chocolate family, there is a very small museum which tells us the astonishing history of the pharmacy.
It is a beautiful mansion at the entrance to Parc Monceau, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, which houses the Order of Pharmacists. Go through the carriage entrance and admire the very pretty “Norman-Moorish” facade erected in the interior courtyard by Gaston Menier at the end of the 19th century. Bays, turret and metal half-timbering make up this astonishing ensemble which hides a very small pharmacy museum. Accessible only by appointment*, it is full of surprising treasures… and a few poisons.
Castoreum (an oily and odorous secretion produced by animal glands and in particular certain beavers), ibex blood, red chromate of potash or various acids rub shoulders with plants, spices and chocolates. More than 800 jars containing the bases of the French pharmacopoeia of the 19th century, brought together by the patriarch of the Menier family: Jean Antoine Brutus, industrialist with a first name reminiscent of Revolutionary France and his taste for antiques, founder of the famous brand…
This article is reserved for subscribers. You have 88% left to discover.
Black Friday
-70% on digital subscription
Already subscribed? Log in
#immersed #secret #world #apothecaries