We were recently asked about going to a drugstore in an early B.C. setting. The person asking the questions was working on a family tree and was curious about the life of the family. A look back 130 years ago to 1883 can give us a snapshot of the availability of drugstores, pharmacies and dispensaries. The local paper of that day, the Mainland Guardian, supplies us with some items of interest.
Calling his business a "medical hall" in an advertisement, D.S. Curtis noted they had the pleasure of announcing they were opening out in their new store on Columbia Street, a large and complete stock of drugs, chemicals and patent medicines. They also had "dye stuffs, perfumery, toilet requisites" and "everything usually found in a first class drugstore."
A Dr. Clarke was to be in charge of the dispensing department, and the ad proudly stated he had more than 25 years of experience.
The Vancouver Island druggist, Langley and Co., was located on Yates Street in Victoria, and they also advertised in the New Westminster paper. The steamboat trade offered daily connections between the Island and the mainland. Back in New Westminster, another ad promoted Adolphus Peele, chemist and druggist. Mr. Peele, extremely well known in the region, operated his store on Columbia Street and promised "physicians' prescriptions and family recipes accurately dispensed."
There were also Chinese drugstores in town, one of which was Kwong Tay and Co. situated on Front Street next to Willie's Bakery. The drugstore had a "choice assortment of Chinese Medicines" as well as offering many other goods.
The store's advertisement noted they had "groceries and dry goods, choice stock of sugar, teas and rice . clothing of all kinds for whites and Chinese . contracts for Chinese labour arranged, good cooks and servants always on hire."
If our early family members had need of a physician, two advertisements supplied suggestions. Doctors McInnes and Mathers had an office opposite the post office which was "open at all hours, day and night."
There were also two dentists in an office above the D.S. Curtis drugstore. Doctors Welsh and Henderson were opening a new office and advertised they would be ready in a few days.
There really were lots of "medical" choices in New Westminster in 1883.
