This neighborhood pharmacy has been here for several generations, dispensing prescriptions, greeting cards, candy bars and patent medicines. The sign with its arcane symbols has decorated the facade as long as I have lived nearby. I know the significance of the closest emblem, but the meaning of the others eludes me. Can anyone provide an explanation?
they are alchemical symbols, the only one I am unsure of is the 4th one along, I have seen it but cant remember what it signifies. however from left to right the symbols are take, glass, yellow arsenic, (the unknown one), oil of vitriol and at the far end the Caduceus which is commonly but wrongly thought to be a symbol of medicine, it is in fact the staff of hermes the messenger god of the greeks. this mistake comes from a misinterpretation of the real symbol of medicine the Rod of Asclepius which has one snake wrapped around its shaft and not the 2 intertwined snaked pictured here :D when I find the last symbol I will let you know :D
