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Is this a variation on the rod or staff of Aesculapius? Or just a decorative embellishment?

In 1848, the apothecary Georg Franz Merck (1825 - 1873) discovered papaverine. This was a non-narcotic alkaloid used for its antispasmodic effects.

This particular detail may originate from the 'bowl of Hygeia', a bowl with a snake, which is sometimes used as an international symbol of pharmacy. In this detail, which is less than an inch in diameter, the 'handles' of the bowl appear to have…

Was used to produce turpentine, which was, in turn, used to combat a variety of ills, such as urinary dysfunctions and tapeworms. Also used as an external stimulant for chronic rheumatism.

In 19th century England, laudanum was often sold by shopkeepers, who kept their laudanum in large containers. The liquid was measured into any container the customer provided. It was a drug used by the working class to treat many minor complaints.

Ong is likely the abbreviation of 'onguent', which is French for 'unguent'. An unguent was an ointment or plaster diluted with oil to the consistency of stiff honey.

Inula, a tonic extracted from a tree, was a gentle stimulant. It was supposed to possess diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, and emmenagogue properties. It was used chiefly in the treatment of chronic diseases of the lungs.

Water hemlock was used to relieve migraine headaches. Water hemlock is considered to be the most poisonous plant growing in North America.

This image shows some of the purely decorative embellishments popular on the 'show' jars visible in apothecary shops of the 19th century. Some of the decorative elements also use symbols linked to the history of medicine or pharmacy.

Cicuta maculata, commonly known today as hemlock, was an acrid narcotic used to treat nervous and sick headaches and local pains. Spotted hemlock was once used for an endless array of diseases, from gout to rickets to epilepsy. Its usefulness was…