[The Royal College of Medicine, the apothecaries and the unlawful pharmaceutical activity of members of clergy, in Lorraine in the second part of the XVIIIth century].
Every regular text relative to pharmaceutical activities is very precise about the prohibition of "public" exercise of pharmacy, and generally all medical activity, by members of clergy. However, the examination of archives demonstrates that violations of the law are constant, in spite of judicial procedures and sentences. Secular clergy is certainly very implicated, but its activity of preparation and distribution of drugs seems to be relatively discreet. Oppositely, the members of regular clergy open almost community pharmacies in towns and are competitors with apothecaries. Among them, in Lorraine, the most important are Jesuits and sisters in charge of charity houses and hospitals. Jesuits have no diplomas but their installations are very correctly organized. On the contrary, sisters are often poorly proper in pharmacy and their dispensaries appear to be badly managed with drugs of mediocre quality and poorly stored.
Labrude
Pierre
P
D002977:Clergy / Q000266:history*; D005602:France; D000077406:History of Pharmacy; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D006801:Humans; D010604:Pharmacy / Q000592:standards; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000266:history*