Sunday History Photo / Qld

Please read notice at bottom.


Did you know that Lucas' Papaw Ointment has a proud history spanning over 100 years.
Thomas Pennington Lucas was born in Dunbar, Scotland to Samuel Lucas, a Wesleyan Methodist minister, and Elizabeth Broadhurst. He inherited from his father a love of natural history and a lifelong determination to reconcile his strong religious beliefs with his scientific convictions, as evidenced in many of his books. Because his father was often on the move to new postings, taking his family with him, Thomas was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School at Stratford-on-Avon, Helston Grammar School, Cornwall, and New Kingswood School in Bath. Having developed tuberculosis, in 1876 Thomas Lucas migrated to Melbourne, Australia where he set up a medical practice. His three living children joined him there in 1879 after being cared for by his brother, Arthur Henry Shakespeare Lucas. Arthur followed him to Melbourne in 1883 and became a well known biologist and schoolmaster in his own right.



Lucas and his family moved to Brisbane, Queensland in 1886. His medical practice was first set up in central Brisbane, moving in the early 1890s to South Brisbane. Later he relocated to Acacia Ridge south of Brisbane, then finally to New Farm in inner north Brisbane from 1911 until Lucas's death.
As his degrees, diplomas, and honours indicate, Dr Lucas was among the leading medical men of his day.
In 1882 Thomas Lucas founded the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria. During his lifetime he collected a large number of butterfly and moth specimens, some of which eventually found their way into the possession of the South Australian Museum.
He was a member of various learned societies including the Linnean Society, the Royal Society, the Royal College of Surgeons, and the British Medical Association in England, and the Linnean Society of New South Wales, the Royal Society of Queensland, and the Natural History Society of Queensland.
In addition to his studies and involvement with many prestigious groups, Dr. Lucas was also a contributor to The British Medical Journal London as far back as 1875. Originally practicing medicine in London, Dr. Lucas came to Australia in 1876 seeking a warmer climate. He initially moved to Melbourne where he practiced for 10 years before moving to Brisbane in Queensland. It was in Queensland that the story of Lucas’ Papaw Ointment really starts to take shape.



After moving to Queensland, Dr Lucas carried out numerous scientific studies, botanical and medicinal experiments, looking for a natural remedy for disease. Dr Lucas started to combine his medical training with his profound knowledge of natural history and botany. While carrying out his botanical research, Dr Lucas studied tens of thousands of botanical specimens. The specimen which commanded his closest attention and to which he devoted special study was the papaw tree.
The papaw plant and its fruit impressed Dr Lucas so much that his investigations led him to describe it as “the world's greatest healing agent”. From then on, Dr. Lucas devoted his researches to its application to modern medicine and, as a consequence, its benefits to humanity.
The passion Dr Lucas had for medicine and caring for people led him to open a special Hospital called "Vera". At the hospital, located in Brisbane, patients were treated solely by his Papaw remedies. Take a look at your red plastic jar or tube of Lucas Papaw Ointment and you will see the trade mark "Vera Papaw Hospital" picture is still printed on them today.



The hospital recorded many fantastic results, including cases of disease which had until then been deemed incurable yielding to this latest treatment. As people saw the benefits of the ointment its use spread around Australia and the world. There was even a testimony to Papaw written in 1910 by the Great Ormond St. Hospital London.
On his death, Dr Lucas left to his widow the complete formulae of his preparations and all directions for compounding them. Mrs. Lucas (who for many years had been actively engaged with him in his hospital work) gave active and devoted attention to continuing the production of the ointment that her husband had worked so hard to create.



After the death of Dr. Lucas it was impossible to carry on the overwhelming work that the Vera Papaw Hospital entailed. However, it was possible to make available for the public benefit the remedies which were used for treatment and therapy.
Now several generations on, the all important papaw remedies have been passed on to the descendants of Dr Lucas. Today, the family owned business continues to manufacture Lucas’ Papaw Ointment to the same formula that Dr. Lucas used to prepare the ointment he worked so hard to create in his lifetime.











NOTICE...........
Next Sunday I will still be recovering in Penrith Hospoital after an Operation tomorrow.
Fred B will away and probably will not have Internet, therefore SHP may not appear next week, I will have my Laptop and files and if capable will do an SHP .


Doug



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