German Pharmacy Museum

We visited the German Pharmacy Museum which is located inside Heidelberg Castle.  It was interesting to see how the storage and distribution of medicines evolved through the centuries.  I have included a picture of an officina, which has an alligator hanging in the middle.  Alligators are not found in Europe, but as the pharmacists were traders, they had access to interesting animals and would hang them in their shop windows to attract customers.  The most interesting fact that I learned was that people used to believe that you could cure maladies with natural things that are the opposite of the malady.  For example, if you have a skin condition, you would put snake skin on it because the snake sheds his for new, healthy skin.  I have also included a picture of a student grinding beetle shells to make dye, as pharmacists also used to sell them as well.
Amy