Call Number:

Ms. Coll. 1334

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

0.12 linear_foot (1 box, 6 folders)

Preferred Citation:

Louis A. Mátos papers of pharmaceutical formulas, 1887-1907, Ms. Coll. 1334, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

1887-1907 (inclusive)

Creator:

Mátos, Louis A.

Form:

Recipes, Formularies, Clippings (information artifacts), Manuscripts, American -- 20th century, Manuscripts, American -- 19th century, and Prescriptions

Abstract:

A small collection of papers by Louis A. Mátos comprising a compilation of chemical formulas and preparations for apothecary use spanning the years from 1887 to 1907. The collection consists six folders. Folder 1 is a volume of pharmaceutical formulas. Folders 2-5 contain printed ephemera, handwritten formulas and clippings.

Mátos was born in Santiago de Cuba to Luis Jose and Antoma Peralta Mátos. Circa 1854 Mátos emigrated to United States. He attended the Fort Edward Collegiate Institute in New York. In 1861 at the outbreak of the Civil War Mátos signed up for the Union Army and joined the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry known as Duryée's Zouaves. Following his honorable discharge from the war, Mátos attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and graduated with his pharmacy degree in 1872. Mátos had a twenty-two year career employed as the chief chemist for the laboratory of Llewellyn Pharmaceutical Chemists in Philadelphia. In addition to his work as a chemist Mátos was one of two proofreaders for the Spanish translation of the United States pharmacopoeia. In 1863 Mátos married Sara Elizabeth Parker. They had three sons: Louis J. Mátos born in 1867, who became a chemist specializing in colors and dyes; William Warder Mátos, born in 1872, owned his own advertising agency; and Walter A. Mátos, born in 1874, who was the rector of the Trinity Church Swathmore and an amateur astronomer.

A small collection of papers comprising a compilation of chemical formulas and preparations for apothecary use spanning the years from 1887 to 1907. The collection consists of one volume of pharmaceutical formulas and five folders of of related papers. Formulas for a myriad of pharmaceuticals used for medicinal and hygienic purposes are written in the volume. There is an index at the beginning of the volume with some recipes marked with a red dot. The volume includes recipes for cordials, drops, elixirs, essences, gargles, lozenges, oils, ointments, plasters, powders, smelling bottles, syrups, tablets, tonics, vinegars, and washes providing remedies for various ailments and diseases. The ailments for these chemical mixtures are not always listed. Preparations for toiletries include bath salts, cold creams, depilatories, hair tonic, hair dye, sachets, salves, skin food, talcum powders, tooth powders, and waters. There are also lists of flowers used for colognes and washes. Some formulas are for named products such as Dr. Adam Klemm's gonorrhea mixture, Dobell's solution, Llewellyn's bath salt, and Dr. Seiber's antiseptic liquid. A few recipes in the volume have been crossed out. Names and addresses are written on some leaves of the volume. Page numbers appear near the bottom right. The spine is detached from the volume and some pages are loose or brittle. In addition to the volume of formulas there are five folders of loose leaves comprising pharmaceutical formulas, printed items regarding Llewellyn's pharmacy, and some newspaper clippings. One printed postcard dated 1887 is in Spanish and signed signed by Mátos. The message indicates specialized products are available to the Cuban, South American, and Spanish communities.