A step back in time

Oh dear! M has developed an allergy to Teddy. So off to our local chemist,  Strathallan Pharmacy, I trot to buy some antihistamines.
 
Now our chemist in Bridge of Allan is rather special for it has a long history as the oldest retailer in town going back to 1851 , and it's  association with Robert Louis Stevenson who used to holiday here as a boy.
 
Today the original wooden apothecary drawers are still in use only now they are used to store our prescriptions
Medicine and healthcare in those days lacked the
sophistication of today's drugs and therapies.
 Therefore it’s no surprise to learn from advertisements of the day that "Finest Swedish leeches" were received fresh every week.
As for the notorious first pharmacist, Mr Gilbert Farie , he is believed to have been the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's Mr Hyde in the tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. 
It’s quite a thought though when I step back in time and cross the threshold of this pharmacy to collect  some antihistamine tablets for a cat allergy.