Emile Doo's Chemist Shop
Emile Doo's Chemist Shop is an exhibition at the Black Country Living Museum in England. It was originally situated at 358 Halesowen Road, Netherton, before being rebuilt on the museum site. History Before the National Health Service was formed, local chemist shops like Doo's played an important part in the health of the local community. They offered services such as free medical advice, basic First Aid and weekly weighing of babies. Doo's was originally built in 1886 as a tailor's shop. James Emile Doo traded from 1882 in a building across the road from 358, the business being taken over by his newly qualified son Harold Emile Doo, in about 1918. In 1929 Harold moved trading to their new premises at 358. The move was so carefully planned that dispensing was carried out until 10:00 p.m. on Saturday night in the old premises, and then started trading in the new premises the next morning at 9:00 a.m. Harold traded as a chemist until ill health forced his retirement in May 1968. Exhibition The shop lay untouched from 1968 to 1973, when the fittings and stock were donated to The Black Country Living Museum. The shop now located in The Black Country Living Museum is built using bricks reclaimed from two houses which were demolished in Pearson Street, Old Hill. The original shop front was also rescued and forms part of the exhibit today. The shop exhibition is much tidier than the shop would have been in real life. It would have been cluttered with hampers full of deliveries often leaving little room for customers. With guidance from Emile Doo's daughter Betty, the shop has been laid out as it was shortly after the move across the road in 1929. Items on display Wafer machine This was used for making thin soluble wafers for customers who needed medication dissolved in water. The prescribed ingredients were mixed to a paste with a binding agent and milk sugar. The mixture was then smeared over the top plate, which was flipped up so the wafers would slide into the bottom tray and could be dispensed via the extended section at the corner. Paper folder Before pills and tablets became widespread, prescribed medicine was mainly dispensed in the form of powders. The practice continued in this century for things such as headache powders and infant teething powders. The ingredients were mixed together in a mortar and then individually wrapped in separate doses. The paper squares in which the powders were folded all had to be folded to the same dimensions so that they would fit neatly together into a box for the customer. The width of the paper could be adjusted using the ratchet mechanism on the side. The dose of powder was placed in the middle of a rectangular piece of white demi paper. The two edges were folded over to the width of the box, and then the paper strip was pressed over the folder to form two sharp creases. The two ends