โ Scribed by Hein, Henry F.
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
A history of early Pharmacy in New Braunfels and San Antonio brings us in direct contact with the early colonization and settlement of New Braunfels, Texas.
This period takes us to the later days of the Texas Republic and the early statehood days of our state.
It was in March 1845, when Prince K. Solms Von Braunfels returned from Germany with a large number of German immigrants, all of a high character and trained in various trades and occupations; they located on the banks of the Coma1 and near the Guadalupe River, and this settlement soon became an important town and trading center. Among those early pioneers we find Dr. Theodore Koester, the physician, and August Tolle, the pharmacist.
Transportation was slow; it was still the day of the ox team, thc horse and wagon.
The candle and kerosene lamp were used in both the home and place of business. Among the drugs in common use were Simaruba, Chinin, Lavender, Chamomile, Sassafras, Calomel, Peppermint, Marjoram, Thyme, Spices, Bay Leaves, etc. Among the early prescriptions we invariably find the pill and powder were popular, and decoctions and infusions prescribed daily. An early partnership in the drug business started in March 1868, when Julius Voelker and C. Flaege signed an agreement written in German, and stipulated the terms, part of which were that each was to put up $1500.00 in gold; the firm continued for many years, and the firm to-day is still operating under the firm name of B. E. Voelker & Son, with a grandson, Edwin R. Voelker, in charge a t this time.
During the period of the Civil War we find prices abnormal, due to the depreciated Confederate currency. Laudanum sold for as high as $20.00 an ounce and Chinin (Quinine) up to $400.00 an ounce.
Another man who engaged in the drug business shortly after the War was A. Forcke, and in looking over the old files we find that he bought his drug needs from Wheeler, Finlay & Company of New Orleans. The popular, in fact, the only routing, and that usually took a month for the average shipment, came over Indianola, at that time the leading coast city and chief port for southwest Texas.
๐ SIMILAR VOLUMES
Very satisfactory products were obtained when the U. S. P. ointments were prepared substituting soft hydrogenated castor oil for petrolatum or wool fat and hard hydrogenated castor oil for wax, etc. A few of the products were quite superior to the official ointments. Unguenturn Belladonnce.--Since