Occultism and witch trials
· Vanalinn
Unicorn Powder at the Town Hall Pharmacy
Powder sold under the name of unicorn horn shows how myth and real animal material met in old pharmacies.
European trade in remedies and curiosities attributed remarkable powers to the horn of a unicorn. Material sold under that name might instead have come from a narwhal or another animal. In telling the Town Hall Pharmacy’s story, the wider trade should be distinguished from what its own surviving records establish. A precious name helped give a substance value, but its supposed healing powers are not supported by modern medicine.
Practical information
Address: Raekoja plats 11
Visit the Town Hall Pharmacy at Raekoja plats 11 and read its historical displays; do not use old preparations as treatments.