The Apothecary's Daughter( book) and Victorian Pharmacy (video)

I have such dear friends! Beautiful Debs turned me on to a great video series called Victorian Pharmacy:) Even if you just fancy history, but not so keen on medicinal, this series is for you! I harvested lemon balm and worked with it, while watching this series for hours last Saturday:) If you have ever wondered what sheep intestine condoms, fireworks, lead nipple shields, and plaisters have in common, this is a must watch for you! lol! I learned so many things and was thoroughly entertained and enthralled so I hope you can make time to enjoy it also, if you haven't already watched it:) You will find the full documentary at this link:)

 This series was timely in relations to the fact I had recently read a good book called The Apothecary's Daughter. This book was set in the Regency Era, so its historical references, such as the laws pertaining to an apothecary, are in the era before the Victorian Pharmacy. So you see, I was able to get a taste of the apothecary business in a sequential manner which was most helpful to be able to see the progression of ideas, culture trends, laws, medical advancements, marketing, women's issues and a whole host of other things that made me understand and appreciate the labor and dedication of this profession of apothecaries! The Apothecary's Daughter, by Julie Klassen, is a delightful read I think you will enjoy:) A bit of romance also! As usual I would write more, but 3 children here and two on the way! lol!

Big hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages! xx

The Birth House

I wanted to take a moment out of the day, to share with you a really good book, The Birth House by Ami McKay. When I am searching for a book to read I usually plug in the words; bees, beekeeping, honey, herbs, herbal, midwife, and similar ones and then read the librarian review and decide whether to pursue it.  This book was the fruit of one such recent search and I found it just an excellent read!

The story is set in Nova Scotia, and is a result of the writer of this novel discovering that the house she was living in was originally a birth house! The lead character Dora, comes to the art of midwifery through her apprenticeship with a local midwife/herbalist. The book is a sometimes gritty, often hilarious, touching, moving story of a time in history when women still were in charge of the health and welfare of their own families and themselves. The story develops as a new doctor and medical facility moves to the community and comes in odds with Dora and her midwifery. I could go on and on about how much I loved this book but two of the little grandchildren just arrived so must keep this brief! The Midwife’s Garden poem and excerpts from Dora’s stillroom book at the back of the novel are true gems!!

Big hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages and happy reading! xx