Historic Williamsburg

36. Apothecary Shop

Williamsburg, VA

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A colonial apothecary provided medical treatment and prescribed medication to his patients. Some apothecaries also made house calls to visit infirm patients, assisted in childbirths and performed surgeries. The Pasteur & Gault Apothecary Shop, which is located on Duke of Gloucester Street, was the medical practice of William Pasteur and John Minson Galt from 1775 to 1778. The two doctors studied medicine in England before establishing their practice in Williamsburg. Galt trained in surgery, midwifery and medical theory, and copies of his certificates are displayed inside the shop. Unfortunately, medical care was expensive, and many people chose to treat their own ailments at home using folk remedies or herbal medications. Some of the colonial treatment methods such as prescribing calamine for skin troubles and chalk for heartburn became the basis for medicines that are commonly used today.