Leprince waterfalls

old wooden box from an old French pharmacy: it still contains the original paper illustrating the old preparation, namely the Leprince cascarina produced by the Maurice Leprince Pharmacy, located in Paris. It appeared for the first time in 1893 and immediately became an international success, so much so that within five years, its advertisements were published in newspapers all over Europe. Cascarina was based on Rhamnus purshiana: in particular, the dried bark was used. It contains a molecule, hydroxyanthraquinone, which stimulates the peristaltic movement of the colon, decreasing the absorption of water. The name of the drug, namely “Cascarina”, derives from the common name of the plant, Cascara Sagrada, or “sacred bark”. This medicinal plant was even used by Tsar Nikolaj for… hemorrhoids. Recommended for dyspepsia, constipation, liver problems and a thousand other uses, #cascarineleprice cannot be missing from the display case of a #vintagepharmacy.