The Danish Collection of the History of Pharmacy: A Working Museum

The Danish Collec ion o he His o y o Pha macy: A Wo king Museum by Poul R. K use * The Danish Collec ion o he His o y o Pha macy is housed a Pha makon in Hille oed, he Danish Pha maceu ical Associa ion’s con e ence and aining cen e. The collec ion is owned by he Danish Founda ion o he His o y o Pha macy, es ablished in 2002. The Danish Founda ion o he His o y o Pha macy Un il 2002, he e we e h ee o ganiza ions wo king o p ese e he his o y o pha macy in Denma k: he Danish Socie y o he His o y o Pha macy, ounded in 1953, he Danish Founda ion o he P ese a ion o Old Pha macy Equipmen & Fu ni u e, es ablished in 1972, and he Collec ion o Old Pha macy Equipmen , ounded in 1995, owned by he Danish Pha maceu ical Associa ion and housed a Pha makon. In he spi i o he new millennium, i was el ha uni ing he a ious s akeholde s would bes p ese e he his o y o pha macy in Denma k o u u e gene a ions. On 1 Janua y 2002, he Danish Founda ion o he P ese a ion o Old Pha macy Equipmen & Fu ni u e was eplaced by a new ounda ion, he Danish Founda ion o he His o y o Pha macy. A he same ime, he Collec ion o Old Pha macy Equipmen was ans e ed o he new ounda ion and enamed he Danish Collec ion o he His o y o Pha macy, and he Danish Socie y o he His o y o Pha macy was also b ough unde he wings o he new ounda ion. The Danish Founda ion o he His o y o Pha macy ac s as an umb ella o ganiza ion o ac i i ies ela ing o he his o y o pha macy in Denma k. The objec o he ounda ion is o ca y ou museum wo k o illus a e he his o y o pha macy in Denma k, o p omo e esea ch in o he his o y o pha macy in Denma k and o sp ead knowledge o he ield in collabo a ion wi h he Danish Socie y o he His o y o Pha macy. The ounda ion is headed by a 10-membe boa d ep esen ing he o ganiza ions, ins i u ions, and au ho i ies in ol ed wi h pha maceu icals in Denma k. The ounda ion ca ies ou he wo k o he museum and o he ac i i ies connec ed wi h he Danish Collec ion o he His o y o Pha macy a Pha makon in Hille oed. The Danish Collec ion o he His o y o Pha macy In Denma k, he pha macy se ice de eloped successi ely om he middle o he 16 h cen u y. In he ollowing cen u ies, he pha macies we e unde an obliga ion o p o ide, manu ac u e, s o e, and dispense medicines, an obliga ion ha pu hem a he hub o he en i e pha maceu ical p ocess. * The Danish Founda ion o he His o y o Pha macy, Pha makon a/s, 42 Milne s ej, DK-3400 Hille oed. 2 In abou 1900, he pha macies began o expe ience compe i ion om he g owing pha maceu ical indus y, and du ing he 20 h cen u y, pha maceu ical companies g adually assumed he ask o p o iding and manu ac u ing medicines. Medicine manu ac u ing in Danish pha macies ceased de ini i ely in 1990. Agains his backg ound, he Danish Collec ion o he His o y o Pha macy illus a es he ope a ion o he pha macies and he pha maceu ical indus y, as well as he his o y o medicines in Denma k o e he pas 100 yea s. The collec ion is a wo king museum. The ools and de ices in he collec ion ha pha macies used o he age-old c a o manu ac u ing medicines, as well as he able machines and o he appa a us used o able p oduc ion in pha macies and pha maceu ical companies ha e been es o ed o wo king condi ion by he collec ion’s echnical enginee o by a machine wo kshop. This es o a ion enables us o show isi o s how medicines we e manu ac u ed in he pas , including he manu ac u e o pills, dispensing powde s, supposi o ies and oin men s, and he manu ac u e o able s in pa icula . A selec ion o pha maceu ical an iqui ies, books and documen s has also been es o ed. The es o ed e ec s make up he o namen al objec s o he collec ion. The collec ion is di ided in o h ee sec ions: a pha macy sec ion, a able manu ac u e sec ion, and a medicine exhibi ion. The pha macy sec ion s a s wi h an exhibi ion o o namen al objec s om Danish pha macies, including signs, symbols, ja s, bo les, mo a s, scales, coppe appa a us, and o he an ique pha macy i ems. The sec ion con inues wi h exhibi ions o ools, de ices, and machines used o manu ac u ing medicines in he pha macies, as well as displays o glasses, bo les, boxes, labels, s amps and p esc ip ion en elopes used when dispensing medicines. The pha macy sec ion also ea u es a collec ion o books, including pha macopoeias, medicine a i s, pha maceu ical ex books and handbooks, as well as a selec ion o pha maceu ical documen s. The able manu ac u e sec ion displays able machines and o he appa a us used o able p oduc ion in Danish pha macies and pha maceu ical companies. This sec ion illus a es he de elopmen o able manu ac u e om c a o indus y. The medicine exhibi ion displays a selec ion o medicines om Danish pha macies as well as pha maceu icals om Danish and o eign indus ial companies o illus a e he de elopmen o d ugs om low- o high- echnological p oduc s. Fo u he in o ma ion abou he Danish Collec ion o he His o y o Pha macy including 600 pho os, please see: www.d h .dk 3 Tex box The pa ne s o he Danish Founda ion o he His o y o Pha macy: • The Danish Pha maceu ical Associa ion • Pha madanma k (p e iously he Associa ion o Danish Pha macis s) • The Danish Associa ion o Pha maconomis s • The Danish Associa ion o he Pha maceu ical Indus y (Li ) • The Associa ion o Pha maceu ical Wholesale s (Meg os) • The Danish Socie y o he His o y o Pha macy • The Facul y o Pha maceu ical Sciences, Uni e si y o Copenhagen • Pha makon • The Danish Medicines Agency • The Minis y o he In e io and Heal h 4 Figu es Fig. 1. Exhibi ion o ja s, bo les, mo a s, and scales om Danish pha macies. 5 Fig. 2. Coppe s ills and o he an ique i ems om Danish pha macies. 6 Fig. 3. Middle: Manual and mechanized able machines o use in pha macies. 7 Fig. 4. Table machines o indus ial p oduc ion.