THE MYSTERY OF GRATTAN’S PRESCRIPTIONS


Pharmacists urged to unlock secrets of Belfast’s historic prescription books


The daughter of a former pharmacist is appealing for help to decipher the writing and contents of prescription books that date back to the 1800s - a unique collection of pharmacy prescription ledgers.


Dr Margaret Crawford, daughter of pharmacist Ernest Crawford, is researching the history of Grattan’s Medical Hall and Mineral Water Company, which began operating in 1825 in Corn Market, Belfast. It expanded rapidly as Belfast industrialised, prompting owner John Grattan to move his business in the 1860s when he converted the former Plough Hotel into a larger Medical Hall. Four further branches subsequently opened in the Belfast suburbs between 1880 and 1940.


Dr Crawford is using her research to write a book as it is a topic that is close to her heart. Her father worked for Grattan’s in their city centre Medical Hall, having qualified in 1927.


“Grattan’s Medical Hall had a long history and I felt that there was an interesting story to be told about its founder, and indeed this has proved to be the case,” said Dr Crawford.


“At the time of Grattan’s death in 1871 his medical hall was described as one of the finest in the UK. He was also a manufacturer of quality aerated waters, claiming to be the inventor of ginger ale. In addition, Grattan was an active participant in the related subjects of phrenology and craniology. At the time these were important scientific interests in the UK, Europe and America, though subsequently discredited,” she added.


Grattan’s served a mixture of clientele, including some of the most elite members of society at the time. Previous research shows that at one point they were supplying thousands of leeches to the doctors and apothecaries of Belfast.


Grattan’s remained a family firm following John Grattan’s death in 1871 but was eventually sold off in 1959. Dr Crawford’s father purchased the Woodstock Road branch in 1960 and retired in 1973.


When Grattan’s closed, Mr Crawford salvaged most of the prescription books dating back to 1825 and donated all but the first two to the Public Records Office Northern Ireland (PRONI). While some are no longer in their possession, almost 200 books remain. Dr Crawford has been told that the collection from 1825-1875 is a unique collection of pharmacy prescription information in the UK.


12 pharmacyinfocus.co.uk


She believes there is a chance that these ledgers might contain the first prescriptions for new medications when they first launched, such as salicylic acid, the precursor of aspirin.


“My father appreciated the value of the prescription ledgers and so he contacted the PRONI to ask if it would be interested in accepting the many hundreds of ledgers, which had accumulated over the many years of dispensing. PRONI agreed to accept the donation. I recall the discussion and relief that they would not end up in a skip,” said Dr Crawford.


While one of the prescription books in Dr Crawford’s possession is very fragile, a second is still in a good condition along with three other “mixture” books which record regularly requested concoctions for various clients.


Unfortunately, the old script writing is very difficult to read and, as she is not a pharmacist herself, Dr Crawford has found it difficult to identify the various ingredients listed. She is calling for assistance from pharmacists who might be able to help decipher the writing and interpret the ledgers.


“I am not a qualified pharmacist and so cannot interpret the many concoctions recorded in the ledgers. This knowledge would enrich the value of these records to the story of this firm and also to developments in the progress of medical science,” said Dr Crawford.


“On a scientific level medical historians can discover remedies for a wide range of diseases in an earlier era or discover the timing of new treatments...”


GRATTANS CORN MARKET (COURTESY OF HIGG COLLECTION, MUSEUM OF NORTHERN IRELAND)


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48