Collection: Directories and Documents > Historical Clippings

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Title: Historical Clippings Book (HC-04) Collection Type: Directories and Documents Collection Name: Historical Clippings Catalog #: HC-04 Author: Lyle White Related Items: Historical Clippings > Historical Clippings Index for Volume 1-4 Notes: pp701-887 # of Pages: 198 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Printed or handwritten: All printed text Date Scanned: 2024-10-22 16:05:41 Scanned By: Jim Moore, Erik Caruso Scanning Equipment: CZUR Book Scanner OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: JPGs First Created: 2024-11-07 19:13:58 Last Updated: 2024-11-08 17:13:27

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 198  

. By Vivienne L. George _ Special fo The Bee the city was chartered, he became a member of the first EUREKA, Humboldt Co. —!town council and for years conIn the current scramble of an‘tique hunters for early-day patent-medicine bottles created by unscrupulous peddlers out for a fast dollar, collectors are becoming more and more interested in bottle relics of the ‘‘good guys” of 19th century medigine — the legitimate druggists. One such druggist whose bottles are highly prized among hobbyists is Frank A. Weck, ‘early Eureka druggist whose store was once the only source of remedies for ailing settlers of Humboldt County. Weck, an Italian-born immigrant, came to Humboldt County in 1859 while in his teens jto work as an apprentice in a \Union (Arcata) drug store. Al‘though he had little formal 120 he had passed state require‘ments to become a certified ‘. pharmacist and had purchased ‘his own drug store in Eureka. \. Weck was a man who took an interest in his community. He purchased a tract of land outside the city limits and helped promote the settling of more families to build up the town. When ‘. schooling, by the time he was; tinued to play a leadng role in Eureka’s development. He also was interested in developing his profession. Before he had practiced long, he became concerned about the drugs going into “his prescriptions — by the time they were brought by boat from the east, they were stale and outdated. From his pharmaceutical training, he recognized that certain plants around Humboldt Bay could be! used for drugs. He began harvesting and curing the plants, making his own medicines so his patrons would have fresh remedies, Supply Firm In time, Weck became so pro-' ficient with native plants that he was supplying other druggists on the West Coast and even shipping to European buyers. Around 1890 he turned his Eureka drug store over to his son-inlaw, Charles Fitzell, and moved to San Francisco where he organized a drug supply company. By this time he was one of the leading authorities on medicinal plants of California, and for several years he lectured regularly Frank A. Weck to the University of California’s College of Pharmacy on the subject. The poor young immigrant, who came to America penniless, became relatively rich and famous. Then tragedy struck. The San Francisco ‘fire and earthquake of 1906 destroyed his business, valued at more than $100,000, along with all of the time accumulation of formulas. obscurity. 1900s in which he reminisces County: leisco to complete his medical company records including a life-/Prescriptions were filled from whooping cough, nasat catarrh shelf bottles, plasters werejand bronchial irritaton. It was He used his personal assets to}spread on sheep skin, and fluidjalso pounded to a pulp and used repay company losses and died extracts, elixers, tablets, capsules. as a soothing ointment. : not long afterward in virtualjand sugarand gelatincoated’ The prevalent theory of med~. pills were unknown. ical books of the 19th century Weck’s granddaughter, Bertha) “Gold dust and silver coin was that a ‘standby medicine” Fitzell, now nearing 80 and liv-jwere the currency. Merchants should contain enough generalling in retirement near Blockswould accept gold dust in ex-. ized ingredients so that no matburg, Humboldt County, has a change for merchandise or debt ter what the ailment, there would letter written by Weck in the;payments. Every store was probe something within the mixture vided with gold scales and althat probably would be benefiabout his days in Humboldt. set of blowers. icial. “Uniontown had three large! The books also state that while “In 1861 I was offered a posi-. stores carrying supplies, doing ajthere are some kinds of herbs tion as manager of the onlyjlarge business with the mining}that release their “power” in drug store in Eureka and I ac-. camps. Goods were transferred. boiling water, others become efcepted. A year later I arranged)to the camps on mule back over. ficacious only in alcohol. to buy the store. At the same mountain trails just wide enough) One fomula reads “to cure time, the owner of the Unionfor the mules to go in singleispasms of asthma, take a handtown store Closed for a period so’ file.” {ul of dry root of jack-in-thethat he could go to San Fran-), Native Remedies ‘pulpit, put it in a quart of good Although Week's personal rec-} whiskey, let stand three days. A leourse. This left our store injords were destroyed, a campari-. dose is one tablespoontul twice ‘Eureka the only drug store in. son of pharmaceutical booksja day.” ‘Humboldt County. Our trade ex-lused in that period with plants] Another is offered as an aid tended all over the county in-inative to Humboldt County gives!to sleep and reads “take four icluding the trading posts andjan insight into the contents of/tablespoons each of pale skull{mining camps in Klamath and) the Weck Drug Store bottles that cap, lady slipper and mint blos‘Trinity Counties, are so sought after by collecsoms, add one quart of water “The drug business in the tors. ‘and boil down to a pint. Strain early days was quite different) The old books mention skunk and add one pint of the best gin. ‘from that of the present time. cabbage—a plant that produces Take a teaspoonful on retiring.” iThe pharmacist manufacturedja medicine that is a stimulant.) Such alcohcl-based drinks ‘all his tinctures, syrups, pillsjeven slightly narcotic, and was. proved very popular with the land mixtures from crude drugs.'used to quiet spasms of asthma, . miners in the hills. Jb/23/6? 709.