Pierre Pomet’s A Compleat History of Druggs, originally published in 1694, was once considered to be one of the most comprehensive medical guides used by doctors across Europe. Written in French by Monsieur Pomet, chief druggist to the late French King Lewis XIV, the book is illustrated with over four hundred copper plates which are attributed to the engraver Jean Crepy.
At a time when intrepid explorers were bringing back news of new traditions and methods from distant corners of the earth “Pomet wasn’t above pandering to the masses by covering the basics of everything from mummies to unicorns.”
The unicorn’s horn, whether from the imaginary horned beast or from the elusive narwhal was considered to be a potent medical aid:
Authors have ascribed almost incredible things to it, the chiefest of which are, to resist all manner of poisons, and to cure the plague, with all sorts of malignant fevers, the biting of serpents, mad dogs, etc.
via www.theatlantic.com