Mechanicsville, Virginia has several pharmacies that have stood the test of time. Colonial Pharmacy, a Good Neighbor Pharmacy (formerly Cardinal Drugs) is one of them.
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When you walk in the door, you know it is not a cookie-cutter franchise. To the far left is the diner grill, complete with seating. There's a whole section with gifts (featuring things like gift boxes of Russell Stover chocolates and cans of Virginia peanuts), followed by displays of pharmaceutical goods.
But I walked past all of that, straight to the back, hoping that they, like many other older pharmacies, would have a selection of pharmaceutical antiques. I guessed correctly.
Left to right, are a wooden mortar and pestle, a patinaed wood receipt box dated 1944, a porcelain mortar and pestle, an apothecary jar of Bayas Enebr. (Spanish for juniper berries) from 1900, and a tall apothecary container full of an unknown, beautiful purple liquid.
In case you are curious about what juniper berries are, I grabbed a photo of them in a mortar and pestle, from my spice cabinet (see top left). They are a purplish-reddish shade. Doesn't it just make you wonder whether the liquid in the jar is from the juniper berries??
Eastern medicine used juniper berries medicinally for urinary and other issues. Native American medicine used them for diabetes and other issues. Personally, I use them culinarily in the Crock-Pot ™️ with beef. To quote Nero Wolfe from Rex Stout's The Doorbell Rang,
"Nero Wolfe: Three.
Fritz Benner: Five.
Nero Wolfe: Five juniper berries in a marinade for a filet of beef would be overpowering.
Fritz Benner: Three berries is not enough.
Nero Wolfe: Shall we split the difference? Four.
Fritz Benner: Five berries or I cook something else.
Archie Goodwin: [entering the kitchen] Everybody's here.
Nero Wolfe: Very well, five. But I won't have to taste it to verify their presence; the *smell* will tell me!"
Bon appetit! Wishing you health!