Sun. 08. september

Todays working hours of the museum are
from 11.00 to 17.00

Exhibitions on display

"Stories" an art exhibition by people with mental health issues

The working hours of the museum:
Mon. closed
Tue. 11.00 - 17.00
Wed. 11.00 - 17.00
Thu. 11.00 - 19.00
Fri. 11.00 - 17.00
Sat. 11.00 - 17.00
Sun. closed
Museum is closed on last friday of the month

Pharmacy Museum

This museum was founded in 1987, as an affiliate to Pauls Stradins Museum for History of Medicine. It is set up in a dwelling house which is an 18th century architectural monument. The museum shows the development of pharmacy and pharmacies in Latvia. Documents and books from the 17th- 19th century, the tools and containers of an pharmacist, signatures, pill shapes and devices for preparing drugs, as well as drugs that were manufactured in Latvia in the 20 - 30ties of the 20th century are on display at the museum.
The museum holds a new exhibition that is devoted to the pharmacy laboratory and traditional healing methods. Already in ancient times the one of the most important rooms in the pharmacy was the laboratory, which was used not only to prepare drugs, but other goods as well. Chemical experiments were preformed in the laboratory in search for new drugs and ways of treatment. The first methods of chemical experiment were - distillation, sublimation and filtering - which were developed by the alchemist. They also developed and improved the laboratory equipment and discovered substances that were later used for preparation of drugs. The alchemist was also trying to solve the questions considering health and the possibility of regaining youth. The discovery of ethyl alcohol, which was derived from whine, was made by the alchemist. That is the reason why in our days ethanol is called spiritus vini in Latin.
The pharmacies of the Baltic were well known for their culture. Never the less the drugs produced in them could not be obtained by the Latvian peasant, who still was gathering different plants for healing processes. The bathhouse served as the hospital for the peasant. The different healing herbs were carefully gathered, stored and prepared for usage. The pharmacists often complained to the authorities about the women who gathered healing plants, as they made up a rivalry to the pharmacies. So the pharmacy at that point was not only in the hands of the pharmacist, but also in the hands of the peasant women who gathered different medical herbs.

Address:
Riharda Vagnera street 13,
Riga, Lv - 1050
T: 67213008 (the excursions must be announced prior arrival)
e-mail: farmacija@mvm.lv
Working hours: Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat 10 - 17 (from October till April)
10 - 18 (from May till September)
Closed on Sundays and Mondays