The School of Pharmacy Heritage Trail welcomes students and visitors alike with a detailed display of documents and artifacts from the first arrival of apothecaries in 1608 to the modern era. Included are textbooks, apothecary bottles, patent medicines, tablet and salve tins, a wooden label dispenser, a cornucopia of aged prescription cards and pharmacists’ tools from the 1800s to the mid-1900s. Photos: Danny Tiet, VCU School of Pharmacy
Original pharmacy books from the VCU School of Pharmacy Heritage Trail.
Before 1906, patent medicines were promoted to consumers through strong and unsubstantiated claims to cure many conditions, often by unscrupulous sales practices. The ingredients were often toxic or addictive.
To prevent pharmacists from accidentally dispensing poisonous products, poison bottles were given distinctive textured patterns or were marked with raised shapes or inlays with the words “poison” or “death.” These bottles were also often produced in colors such as green or cobalt blue.
Original tablet and salve tins from the VCU School of Pharmacy Heritage Trail.
Prescription label dispenser from the VCU School of Pharmacy Heritage Trail.
Prescription files from the VCU School of Pharmacy Heritage Trail.
Pharmacy Heritage Trail Wins National Recognition
In 2021, the American Institute on the History of Pharmacy honored the School of Pharmacy’s Heritage Trail for its notable contributions to preserving and celebrating the history of pharmacy.
“Virginia has a rich pharmacy history, going back over 400 years,” said Joseph DiPiro, Pharm.D., former dean of the VCU School of Pharmacy who currently serves as VCU’s associate vice president for health sciences. “By learning from the Heritage Trail, our students and future pharmacists are building on the work of many generations who came before them.”
Among old bottles, tins, mortars and pestles, visitors also get a glimpse of the human stories behind the School of Pharmacy, such as how much students paid in annual tuition in 1898 ($120) and the careers of notable graduates.
The idea for the trail came from alum and pharmacy historian Al Schalow. The installation was completed in 2021 with support from several partners.
“We were excited to support the creation of the Heritage Trail,” said Margaret Ann Bollmeier, the MCV Foundation’s president and CEO. “Our board felt the trail would provide a nice history of the School of Pharmacy that would be inspirational to current students and recognize the contributions of former students and faculty.”
The trail includes a timeline of major events in the history of pharmacy, as well as information about key individuals and moments from the school’s history.
“History teaches us not just about the past, but about the present, and is a guide to the future," Dr. DiPiro said. “We welcome everyone to come to the lobby of the Smith building to view our collections and stories.”
To learn more about the VCU School of Pharmacy Heritage Trail, watch the Heritage Trail short video series on pharmacy history: https://blogs.vcu.edu/pharmacy/2019/06/introducing-our-heritage-trail-video-series-on-pharmacy-history.
If you would like to support the VCU School of Pharmacy, please contact Louie Correa, the school’s senior director of development, by emailing lacorrea@ vcu.edu or calling 804-828-3016.
