Quassia Cup

Quassia Cup

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Description
Quassia (1692-1787) was an obeah (healer) from the Guinea region of West Africa who was enslaved and taken to Surinam, a Dutch sugar colony on the Caribbean coast of South America. While investigating local plants with medicinal properties, Quassia learned of a tree that when, when made into an infusion, promoted appetite and assisted digestion. Daniel Rolander, a Swedish botanist who visited Surinam in the 1750s, met Quassia and acquired some samples of this tree. These samples eventually reached Carl Linnaeus, in Stockholm, and that noted botanist named the tree Quassia. Nineteenth century medical texts touted the benefits of water drunk from quassia cups.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
otc preparation
quassia cup
pharmaceutical
Object Type
OTC Preparation
date made
ca 1850-1900
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
paper (overall material)
Measurements
cup: 5 in x 6 cm; 12.7 cm x 2 3/8 in
spoon: 3/8 in x 3 3/8 in x 3 3/8 in;.9525 cm x 8.5725 cm x 8.5725 cm
cup: 5 in x 2 3/8 in; 12.7 cm x 6.0325 cm
ID Number
2008.0018.158
catalog number
2008.0018.158
accession number
2008.0018
Credit Line
Gift of Richard W. Pollay
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Medicine
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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