Museu da Farmácia

 Lisbon is chock full of museums - if you can just find them. One such museum that we happened to stumble upon this week was the Health and Pharmacy Museum.

(It's located at the top of this hill. Big surprise, I know.)

The museum covers 5,000 years of history of the pharmaceutical world and the evolution of the Pharmacies of Portugal. 

There is waaaaaaay too much to tell about, but I will share one interesting thing. 

In the 14th century, Europe experienced one of the most marked diseases in human history, affecting millions of people across the continent: the black plague.

The black plague costume was characterized by a black mantle, which covered the whole body in order to protect those who wore it. The head was covered with a black mask that had the peculiarity of having a beak on which aromatic herbs mixed with straw were placed. This compound had the purpose of filtering out the stench of the black plague, avoiding the contamination of the doctor, according to the miasmatic theory.

(Here you can compare the two masks worn to filter out contaminants. Haha)

The exhibits were very well done.

So enjoy the history of health and pharmacy - in no particular order - since the computer and I are not the best of friends today and we have to leave for the temple soon.  

(The North American Indians were even represented.)