Just by chance, many years ago, I was given permission to explore the attic of an old building in our little town.
Just by chance, I happened across this old ledger, from a time when the building was home to a pharmacy.
Just by chance, upon finding the old ledger, I thumbed through it and saw my granddaddy’s name at the top of one of the pages. It was his account from 1917. My mom would have been seven years old at that time.
Can you make out some of the items? Earache remedy, toothache drops, liver pills, porus plaster, quinine, camphor, turpentine. I haven’t had any luck researching Raymond pills.
On the second page, I see that my granddaddy also bought fever tablets, neuralgia tablets, paregoric, castor oil, chill tonic, and…….. kale seed. Quite different than the items we buy at the pharmacy these days. Amazingly, there’s only one Rx (prescription). Maybe we should try using some of those items I mentioned earlier.
The two pages span the period from 1917 until 1920. By 1920, my grandparents had nine children. From some old family information, I know that the family lived about three miles out of town at that time, and would have traveled to town with a horse and buggy.
Just by chance, the owner of the building allowed me to keep this old journal.
I cherish it for the tiny glimpse it provides of my family’s life nearly a hundred years ago.
these days of mine 
Wow. That’s pretty neat! I bet all those more ‘natural’ remedies didn’t have a warning message of all the side effects they might cause…
No prescriptions for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. If they had those problems, they didn’t know and almost all of the family lived to be in their 80’s and 90’s….makes you wonder if all the medications we take are making a difference!!
Isn’t wonderful the things that happen just by chance….
Or maybe it’s by fate. I actually think it’s one of those tiny miracles that are given to us everyday that we sometimes fail to see.
Miss you.
Such a wonderful find! Some people would have just passed it by as an old dusty book. I found a bottle that has the words, “Croves Tasteless Chill Tonic Prepared By Paris Medicine Co., St. Louis.” I’ve often wondered what it was made of. Maybe Google would have information?
It certainly holds a place of honor in the house, and for good reason. I really like the way the close-ups of the pages turned out in the pics; very warm .. gives you the feeling of the age ……
That is a treasure! I found a farmers old book in Oregon in a barn they were going to tear down. On his list was banjo strings! Love it!! I hope you have a safe to keep it in.
Very, very special
Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog..so, so happy you did! And, so happy I could come visit yours…what a great, great treasure you have in the legedar from the pharmacy! It must be so fun to look at, especially seeing your family’s name in it. I always wonder too, if today’s medicine misses the boat,and if there didn’t use to be better things to help cure our ailments that all the drugs we have today! Hope you have a wonderful week…Sweet blessings!
Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog..so, so happy you did! And, so happy I could come visit yours…I Love your treasure…how fun to get to look back in time and learn some things about your family, and medicines used long ago. Hope you have a GREAT day! Sweet blessings!
Oops! Somehow I posted twice 🙂 Make that three times now!!!
Diana the ledger is a fascinating work to have found. I find old things such as your ledger that connect us to our past very comforting. It looks at home there in that comfy little corner! Thank you for visiting my blog yesterday, I enjoy new visitors because I know there is always a new blog to check out. I have thoroughly enjoyed my visit here and will be back. You have some lovely pictures here and I love pictures! My husband and I both love the water and it has always been a big part of our lives. So this will be a peaceful fun visit here. We lived in Northern Virginia for four years 5 minutes from the Potomac, we boated every day that the weather allowed. I think I will do a little more sightseeing here : )