Title
Apothecary Jar – Pulvis Hydrargyri cum Creta (Mercury with Chalk Powder)
Author
N/A – Pharmaceutical preparation
Image
Description
This large clear glass apothecary jar with a ground glass stopper and enamel label once stored Pulvis Hydrargyri cum Creta (“Mercury with Chalk Powder”). The Latin abbreviation “PV.HYDR.CAN.” was a standard pharmaceutical shorthand. This compound was historically used to treat diarrhea, especially in children. The chalk acted as an antacid, while mercury chloride provided antiseptic and “purging” effects. Modern medicine recognizes mercury as highly toxic, and this preparation has long since been abandoned.
Condition
Jar intact with stopper; some residue, staining, and label wear consistent with age.
Gallery
Historical context
Introduced into medical practice in the 18th century, Pulvis Hydrargyri cum Creta remained in use well into the late 19th century. Despite widespread recognition of mercury poisoning by the early 1900s, the compound was still sometimes given to children as late as World War I.
Curious Facts, Ephemera, and Trivia
Abbreviations like “PV.HYDR.CAN.” were part of the Latin “pharmaceutical shorthand” used by apothecaries and physicians.
The preparation was included in many official pharmacopeias.
Mercury with chalk was sometimes called “Gray Powder” due to its color.
Excerpt
From the United States Dispensatory (19th century):
“Pulvis Hydrargyri cum Creta … is chiefly employed in infantile disorders of the bowels, where a mild alterative is indicated.”
Why it is in the Cabinet
This jar represents the dangerous side of historical medicine — a seemingly harmless children’s remedy that contained toxic mercury. It highlights how medical knowledge evolves and why careful preservation of such artifacts is important for understanding medical history.
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