THE WOODHOUSES’ USE OF AN APOTHECARY: THE
AMBIGUOUS MR. PERRY
by
HALEY RUSSELL
(Murray State University)
ABSTRACT: For years, the texts of Jane Austen have been examined and scholars have
not waned in their studies of her 1815 novel, Emma. This scholarship, however, lacks any
sort of analysis of Mr. Perry, the Woodhouse’s beloved apothecary, while scholars that do
briefly mention the medical man often incorrectly name him “Doctor Perry.” In this
paper, I examine the importance of Mr. Perry’s character and the stance Austen is taking
on the apothecary’s rise to general practitioner. Using dated periodicals, Austen’s novels
and original letter manuscripts, and medical journals, it is evident that Regency
England’s medical system saw a massive transformation throughout the mid-1700s to
early 1800s. Physicians donned the peak of this hierarchy, genteel in class and manner
and serving those like him. Surgeons and apothecaries followed after: surgeons were
believed to work using solely the hand, not the head, treating topical issues. Apothecaries
were, then, considered “lower class” medical men, focusing on the prescription of
(sometimes bogus) drugs, diagnosing only low-class patients and those who were out of
reach of a traditional physician. None such qualities define the rich and worrisome Mr.
Woodhouse. His use of Mr. Perry’s services allows Austen to rebel against the traditional
idea of the worthless, low-class apothecary and participate in a social debate that defines
their worth as family practitioners and valuable medical professionals. This
understanding of Austen’s argument against the social medical ranks is critical to the
understanding of Emma, as Mr. Perry plays a huge role in not only the plot’s overall
development, but also the development of Highbury and Surrey’s social structures.
When reading Jane Austen’s Emma (1815), scholars tend to quickly fall in
love with Mr. Woodhouse, and rightfully so: he is elderly, unrealistic,
comedic, and endearing. Why, though, is his diagnosis so important?
Numerous scholars have diagnosed Mr. Woodhouse: Nicola Cummins
believes his condition to be dyslexia, and Ted Bader believes he is not
suffering any illness; he is simply an aging man, more aware of his body
and health than most. Mr. Woodhouse’s diagnosis is not my concern,
however. His worry, no matter where it is rooted, requires him to see an
apothecary, Mr. Perry, despite the Woodhouses’ wealth. The Woodhouses’
financial situation is made clear early in the novel. Their house sits on a
large garden; Mr. Woodhouse is able to provide his daughters with a
governess—a luxury some of Austen’s other characters were unable to
afford, such as the Bennetts in Pride and Prejudice. The Woodhouses also
hire coachmen and own carriages, also a luxury at the time. There is
nothing, especially money, to “distress or vex” our heroine Emma (Austen
23).1 If this is the case, if the Woodhouses are so fortunate to be more than
financially stable, there is no reason for Mr. Woodhouse to continually call
upon Mr. Perry, a mere apothecary. Mr. Woodhouse, the ever-habitual old
When referring to Jane Austen’s Emma, I will leave out the author’s name and simply
cite the page, as per MLA style. When referring to other of Austen’s works (Pride &
Prejudice), I will include an abbreviated title of the work along with the page number.
1
88
man, is comfortable with Mr. Perry, a medical practitioner who not only
indulges his hypochondria, but also allows Austen to participate in a social
debate concerning the rising credibility of apothecaries as medical
practitioners.
A strict hierarchy of medical practitioners was in place in
eighteenth century medical communities in England. At the top of this
hierarchy came physicians, followed by surgeons, and lastly were the
apothecaries (Porter 11). Physicians were medical professionals who had
been university educated and whose job was to “diagnose the complaint,
make a prognosis of likely developments, prescribe treatments and
medicines (which the apothecary would then dispense), and provide
attendance and advice” (11). These physicians were given the title “doctor,”
unlike surgeons and apothecaries. Because of their education and
certification, physicians were used mostly by upper-class families and, like
their patients, had a genteel manner and status in society.
Unlike physicians’ internal diagnoses, surgery was thought to be
performed solely with the hand, making no use of the head, earning them
a lower status in the medical community. The surgeon would “treat
external complains (skin conditions, boils, wounds, injuries and so forth),
to set bones and perform simple operations” (Porter11). Unlike the liberal,
formal education physicians received at a university, surgeons underwent
apprenticeships to qualify for admission to the London Company. These
apprenticeships lasted approximately seven years (12). No such external
complaints are mentioned in Emma; most sickly characters are suffering
from internal ailments requiring a physician’s advice and an apothecary’s
drugs. Despite the lack of the use of surgeons in Emma, Austen employs
surgeons in her other novels, namely Persuasions, when Louisa Musgrove,
a headstrong young girl jumps down a flight of stairs and falls
unconscious. In the scene, Anne Eliot, Persuasions’ heroine, calls for a
surgeon: “’A surgeon!’ said Anne. He caught the word; it seemed to rouse
him at once and saying only, ‘True, true, a surgeon this instant,’” (132).
Louisa’s diagnosis comes from a surgeon, who determined “the head had
received a severe contusion, but he had seen greater injuries recovered
from” (133). Louisa’s injury was not one of internal issues, such as an
infection, or virus: it was head trauma, and therefore could be treated by a
surgeon, not a physician or apothecary.
An apothecary is, by simple definition, “one who prepared and sold
drugs for medicinal purposes” until approximately 1700, when
“apothecaries gradually took place as general medical practitioners”
(OED). Still, though, apothecaries remained at the bottom of the medical
hierarchy, constantly at war with the physicians. Much like the surgeon,
only more so, the apothecary was considered nothing more than a
tradesman because “he kept shop and pursued trade; his education was
the ‘mechanical’ one of apprenticeship rather than the liberal one of the
university” (12). Apothecaries were less expensive than physicians and
often times prescribed their own medicines, sometimes contradictory to
the prescription the physician had written. The concern with these
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prescriptions was that apothecaries often “cheated the patient by
prescribing bogus drugs: as they made their prescriptions up themselves”
(Inglis 135). Apothecaries served only lower classes’ medical needs. The
use of physicians by the upper class is seen in Austen’s novel Pride and
Prejudice when Mr. Jones, an apothecary, is called to see Jane Bennett,
who has fallen ill at Netherfield, the Bingley’s residence. When Jane has
still not rallied from her cold, Bingley suggests they call for Mr. Jones
again, but his sisters were “convinced that no country advice could be of
any service, recommended an express to town for one of the most eminent
physicians” (P&P 28).
These two professions, apothecaries and physicians, are not to be
confused, though they often are. In Emma, there are mentions of two
apothecaries, Mr. Perry and Mr. Wingfield, Isabella and John Knightley’s
apothecary. Mr. Perry is an ambiguous character and often over looked
and occasionally even misnamed as in George Dunea’s “Jane Austen’s
Doctors and Patients,” where Dunea incorrectly states that Mr.
Woodhouse “forever call[s] on his physician, Dr. Perry.” In another article,
“The Setting in Emma,” George Bramer classifies Mr. Perry as a “Doctor
Perry,” part of the “professional class” (Bramer 153). Mr. Perry is first
introduced on chapter two: “[Mr. Woodhouse] had been at the pains of
consulting Mr. Perry, the apothecary, on the subject.” A footnote is left at
the first mention of the character by Editor Alistair M. Duckworth that
cites the importance of the social roles apothecaries had at the time.
Duckworth states that “the medical role and social status of apothecaries
were the subject of contentious debate in the years leading up to the
passing of the Apothecaries’ Act in July 1815...apothecaries had in many
areas effectively become medical practitioners, and not merely dispensers
of drugs” (Duckworth 34). This Apothecaries’ Act of 1815 stated that “those
who did not hold a university degree were bound by law to take the license
of Apothecaries Hall if they wished to practice as a general practitioner or
apothecary” (London Hospital System). Students were required to take
courses on and produce certificates of attendance in anatomy, physiology,
medicine, chemistry, and material medica. Despite their newly regulated
education, the apothecary’s merit was still below that of a physician. Their
concern was “the dispensing of medicine with the diagnosis of disease, and
the physicians who, having been educated at Oxford or Cambridge,
belonged to the learned world of the day” (LHS).
This Act shows that, though apothecaries were still considered
beneath physicians, the apothecary’s credibility was rising steadily and
continued to do so throughout the remainder of the medical reformation.
Austen could have been—and seems to be—under the belief that because
this new generation of apothecaries had been more educated than their
predecessors; they were a perfectly reliable medical source. Still, though,
they carried a very negative reputation and because of this, the
Woodhouses should have never been consulting Mr. Perry. Indeed, it is
logical that Isabella and John Knightley consult Mr. Wingfield because
they are not as wealthy as the Woodhouses. But, given the information,
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there is no reason as to why the worrisome Mr. Woodhouse would consult
any practitioner who is at the risk of being unqualified.
When questioning Mr. Perry’s role in the novel, it is possible to
argue that Austen abided by the old adage “write what you know,” as much
of the medical issues—bathing, embrocation, the setting of Bath, etc.—
stemmed from her experiences while she was writing the novel. Austen’s
father was a county clergyman, a profession that would not allow enough
money for a physician. However, at the time of her writing Emma,
Austen’s wealthy brother Henry, who lived in London, fell ill and was
under the care of a physician, a physician who also served the Prince
Regent, an admirer of Austen and to whom Emma is dedicated. Austen
met the Prince Regent while caring for her brother in London (Haggerty
35). This interaction diffuses this possible argument as it is clear that
Austen was well aware of doctors at the time, the practices they performed
and, more importantly, the social status of their patients. Though Henry
shared the Prince Regent’s doctor, he was also seen by several other
practitioners (Cecil 176). Henry had also seen an apothecary, Mr. Haydon.
In Austen’s 1815 letter to her sister Cassandra—the year in which Emma
was published—Austen tells her sister “there is no chance of [Henry] being
able to leave town on Saturday. I asked Mr. Haydon that question to-day.
Mr. Haydon is the apothecary from the corner of Sloane St*” (Letter 111).
Later, Austen tells Cassandra that Mr. Haydon has suggested Henry not
take a carriage (Letter 116). It is clear, however, in another one of her
letters in 1815 that Austen is among the few who believe apothecaries to be
credible medical sources when she scolds even her beloved sister
Cassandra for calling Mr. Haydon “an Apothecary; he is no Apothecary, he
has never been an Apothecary, there is not an Apothecary in this
Neighbourhood-the only inconvenience of the situation perhaps, but so it
is-we have not a medical Man within reach-he is a Haden [sic], nothing
but a Haden [sic], a sort of wonderful nondescript Creature on two legs,
something between a Man & an Angel-but without the least spice of an
Apothecary” (Letter 118). Austen’s chastising from Letter 118 when she
argues that Mr. Haydon is not a mere apothecary not only shows her true
feelings on the medical men, but also the negative reputation and
connotations the profession and word carried with it. It is probable, given
this letter, that Austen subscribed to the growing belief that apothecaries
were able and credible medical professionals.
This belief provides some rationale for Mr. Woodhouse’s constant
communication with Mr. Perry; however, it does not account for their
relationship in its entirety. Though Mr. Perry is around the Woodhouses
and their family friends—the Westons, the Knightleys, etc.—at several
points in the novel, he is still not considered the same social rank as the
Woodhouses and acts as such. Mr. Perry and his family attend the Weston
wedding early on in the novel, but, aside from the gathering, there are not
many times where he interacts socially with the group of characters in
Highbury. He, as a class-abiding apothecary—is only present when called
upon by Mr. Woodhouse, Mrs. Goddard, or Jane Fairfax. Even though
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Austen is participating in what scholars would mark as “the beginning of
the process of medical reform in England,” she is unwilling to prescribe to
the belief that apothecaries are equal to upper middle class families like
the Woodhouses.
Though apothecaries were beginning to gain more credibility, physicians
were still preferred among the genteel class, unless these high-class
families lived in rural areas. Hartfield, the Woodhouse’s estate at
Highbury, is only 16 miles from London and located in Surrey, where
Highbury is considered a “large and populous village almost amounting to
a town” (7). It is never mentioned in the novel whether a practicing
physician is present; however it is logical to assume there is one, given the
size of Surrey and Highbury. Even if there were not a doctor practicing
there, though, the Woodhouses could have easily sent for a doctor in
London if the illness at hand was not in need of immediate attention. In an
examination of the setting of Emma, George Bramer claims a trip to
London “for larger services—the framing of a painting, a dental check,
delivery of a large folding-screen, or perhaps a haircut” were entirely
reasonable voyages. This journey is even seen in the novel when Frank
Churchill travels to London supposedly for a haircut (171). There are no
setting boundaries binding Mr. Woodhouse from seeking a doctor’s advice
instead of an apothecary’s.
Mr. Woodhouse is not only a worrisome father; he is a
hypochondriac who is fortunate enough to have the funds to provide
himself with an on-call medical professional, whatever status that may be.
He worries over his daughters, his grandchildren, and, mostly, himself.
His worry—whatever it may be—causes his constant calling upon Mr.
Perry. When attempting to find how many specific instances there are of
Mr. Woodhouse calling Mr. Perry, there are fewer than readers would
suspect. Mr. Perry is mentioned, altogether, 32 times in the novel. Though
difficult to examine each instance in its entirety, labeling each instance
allows us to see, specifically, what kind of role Mr. Perry played in the
novel, and, more importantly, what kind of argument Austen could be
making through him. For the sake of clarity, five categories can be made:
the first would be each mention of the man in terms of direct consultation
of or mention of Mr. Perry by Mr. Woodhouse; the second, the
consultation of characters outside Mr. Woodhouse (i.e. Jane Fairfax, Miss
Goddard, or Harriet Smith); third, the mention of Mr. Perry by Mr.
Woodhouse without regard to medicine; fourth, a simple mention of Mr.
Perry by the narrator; and fifth, a mention of the man by a character other
than Mr. Woodhouse.
Given these five categories, Mr. Woodhouse mentions Mr. Perry or
receives his direct consultation eight times in the novel. Mr. Perry
conducts examinations outside of Mr. Woodhouse eight times and there
are three mentions of him by Mr. Woodhouse that are not concerning
medicine (for example, the scene in which the group discusses the riddles
where the apothecary is labeled Mr. Woodhouses “good friend”). The loyal
apothecary is mentioned offhandedly in narration five times (for example,
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Mr. Perry “walking hastily by” outside of Ford’s), and characters other
than Mr. Woodhouse refer to him or his services eight times. Mr. Perry’s
lack of exclusivity to Mr. Woodhouse begs the question: why is Mr.
Woodhouse using the same apothecary used by orphans, spinsters, and
widows—all those of a lower class than he? In an instance that would fall
under the mention of Mr. Perry by Mr. Woodhouse, the old man and his
daughter, Isabella, argue the benefits of traveling to the sea either at South
End or Cromer. Mr. Perry has suggested Cromer, more than 100 miles
further away than South End, because he believes it is “the best of all
bathing places” (100). This is a key passage in the novel concerning Mr.
Perry’s role at Hartfield. Here, it is established how much Mr. Woodhouse
looks to him for his advice. Isabella and Mr. Woodhouse continue to argue
over the differences in expertise of Mr. Perry and Mr. Wingfield, until the
subdued Mr. John Knightley makes clear that he does not want Perry’s
“directions no more than his drugs” (101). Though the Knightleys consult
an apothecary themselves, they treat them as society does: as if he is lower
in class. Sensitive Mr. Woodhouse is mortified, of course, at the belittling
of his friend and medical practitioner.
When dissecting the advice from Mr. Perry that Mr. Woodhouse
gives Isabella, Mr. Perry’s tone is somewhat decipherable and is seen when
he tells Mr. Woodhouse “where health is at stake, nothing else should be
considered” (100). Medical discoveries and inventions were allowing
individuals outside of the medical community to understand different
ailments however, the severity of different illnesses were not considered as
important during the time. The relationship between the two, Mr. Perry
and Mr. Woodhouse, is good for both men. Mr. Perry is never without
work because of Mr. Woodhouse’s trust in him; likewise, Mr. Woodhouse
is perpetually cared for, understood, and coddled. There was an
understanding that Mr. Perry would tell Mr. Woodhouse exactly what he
wanted to hear. Often times, Woodhouse would even give medical advice
“per Perry” to his daughters and other characters in the novel when, in
fact, Perry had never given Woodhouse the advice. An example of Perry’s
coddling Mr. Woodhouse is apparent when Mr. Woodhouse dissuades
guests from eating the Weston’s wedding cake per Perry’s instructions.
Later, though, the narrator suggests that “all the little Perrys [were] seen
with a slice of Mrs. Weston’s wedding cake in their hands: but Mr.
Woodhouse would never believe it” (34). He would never believe it
because of his trust that Mr. Perry was handing him the correct diagnoses,
the correct drugs, and treatments for whatever ailed him that day. Here,
though, there are questions raised: is Mr. Perry simply feeding into Mr.
Woodhouse’s worry? The answer is clear when, later, Perry has nothing to
contribute to the David Garrick riddle “Kitty, a fair but frozen maid” (73).
The fact that Perry does not have an answer for the riddle—any well-read
individual at the time would have known this famous puzzle—ends the
conversation. His unavailability in social situations—when it is proper and
appropriate for him to participate—allows us to wonder if Mr. Perry is only
interested in Mr. Woodhouse’s company and questions when it involves
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medical advice that he will, in turn, be paid for.
Mr. Perry’s payments, though, are not enough for him to fall into
the respect and love the rest of Hartfield has for the Woodhouse family.
The Woodhouses are the leaders of the community and citizens of
Highbury wish to befriend the Woodhouses and often do, despite their
lower class. This is seen in the friendship between Miss Bates, though she
is a spinster, and Harriet Smith. Mr. Perry, an individual who is
considered lower in social rank than the Woodhouses, does not make any
efforts toward being near the Woodhouses until called. Perry is wanted,
though, all around the country, and though there is no specific evidence,
Perry’s elusive and ambiguous presence in the novel leaves readers
questioning his legitimacy and his motives behind his “advice” that Mr.
Woodhouse is able to dole out to others so quickly (97). This ambiguity is
an example of how Mr. Perry could be considered simply greedy.
The last logical reason Mr. Woodhouse would continue to use the
apothecary is because of his resistance to change. Within the first few
pages of the novel, he is described as “hating change of every kind” (25).
This hatred of change results in a very strict routine, seen in his walks
around the shrubberies at Hartfield, though not in its entirety. These
habitual tendencies are also an indication of why Mr. Woodhouse would
continue to seek the medical advice of an apothecary. It is also made clear
throughout the novel that Mr. Woodhouse is comfortable with Mr. Perry.
Because Mr. Perry is so accepted around Highbury and a familiar face at
Hartfield, Mr. Woodhouse would have nothing to do with another
physician, simply because it would mean a change in routine. And, though
physicians at the time were expected to behave as their upper class
patients did, it is plausible (and likely) that any physician would quickly
become annoyed with Mr. Woodhouse’s continual calls and ridiculous
inquiries.
The little information Austen includes about Mr. Perry and the
Woodhouses leave no satisfaction in understanding why she chooses to
write an apothecary instead of a physician for the wealthy family. Mr.
Perry’s role aids in the development of the complexity of the characters
and the movement of the plotline, but there is no reason for a wealthy
family to even consider seeking any medical practitioner other than a
physician. Why, then, the Woodhouses continue to take the medical advice
of Mr. Perry the apothecary is vague, but is most likely attributed to
Austen’s feelings of apothecaries and their rise in credibility at the time,
the medical reformation taking place in England at the time, Mr.
Woodhouse’s habitual tendencies seen throughout the novel, and the
apothecary’s indulgence of the old man’s outlandish fears.
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Works Cited
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