Nossa capa

Abstract

In the Colonial Brazil of late 18 th century, all health-related questions were under responsibility of commissaries sent by the Crown and of Senate members of the Town Council. These sectors inspected and approved the licenses of doctors, surgeons, apothecaries, midwives and barbers. The latter ones belonged to the same segment. Such practices were made official in examining qualifications, or else, in confirming experience in diagnosis and treatment of diseases. History shows that surgeons, barbers, apothecaries and midwives, even when authorized to exercise their profession, had their activities rather limited by inspection organs; it was necessary to show evidence of at least four years' practice in hospitals or pharmacies. The apothecaries, for instance, were only allowed to sell drugs, manipulate medicines and fill prescriptions. At the very end of the 18 th century, the system definitely was not like clockwork; the model could even be effective, but the inspection was not, as there were no restrictions whatsoever. In order to face health problems, citizens (including cariocas, the citizens of Rio de Janeiro), appealed to whoever was at hand, doctor, apothecary or shaman. It's worth remembering that, at the beginning of colonization, the pharmacies of the Company of Jesus were the centers providing medicines to local inhabitants. And, in these pharmacies, many priests practiced the function of physicians, apothecaries, barbers, and even surgeons. Years later, the lack of practice and/or knowledge from the apothecaries has aroused popular suspicion, and several cases in Brazil were related by European travelers along the 19 th century. Luccock, in referring to the fact that apothecaries, besides selling medicines, also prescribed them, said: "the ability of apothecaries in diagnosing and curing diseases was but faintly superior to the knowledge they had of the human body. The details of their absurd processes of treatment would cause disbelief, as well as awe at the fact that patients come out of them alive and whole… we could say that what the respective owners missed in ability, the apothecaries seemed to make an effort to supply by boasting about it". In the watercolor entitled Pharmacy, illustrating the cover of this JBPML issue, Jean Baptiste Debret portrayed a drugstore, or pharmacy, of the time. As of habit, the customers went there not only for purchasing medicine, but also for leisure. They used to play backgammon or simply spent time in idle chats. A slave belonging to a well-off family, wearing a blue attire with a white and red collar, waits for the medicine being manipulated by the apothecary. In the scene portrayed, one should observe the classic 18 th -century pharmaceutical pots and also the scale held by the image of Saint Michael.