SANGUIS DRACONIS

1790-1810

<i>SANGUIS DRACONIS</i> or Dragons Blood is a gum resin taken from the berries of palm trees. It was used by the Greeks, Romans and peoples of Asia and the Middle-East as a dye. It was also used for medicinal purposes including respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments. Pharmaceutical historian George Urdang author of <i>The Squibb Ancient Apothecary Catalogue</i> attributes containers 1991.0664.0760 through 1991.0664.0825 to Hanau in the late 18th century based on the floral design surrounding the medallion and the initials <i>HN</i> on the bottom of many of the jars in the series. However, in a letter to curators dated August 1983, the pharmaceutical historian Wolfgang-Hagen Hein wrote that the containers without initials and those marked <i>FH</i> were made in Florsheim in the German state of Hesse twenty-three miles southwest of Hanau.