History Main / ApothecaryAlligator

[[folder:Comics]]

Somewhat TruthInTelevision, as historically animal skeletons, fossils, and taxidermy pieces were exhibited by medieval apothecaries and astrologers as a show of wealth and worldliness. The curiosities brought in both gawkers and customers, and served as a form of advertisement; after all, anyone making enough money to purchase exotic specimens for display must be doing good business. This trend would eventually evolve into early museums in the form of personal "cabinets of curiosities" -- see [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/RitrattoMuseoFerranteImperato.jpg this picture]] from 1599. Historians suspect the alligator in particular might have turned into the most prevalent example simply due to its durability: with their thick hairless hides and squat, compact bodies, preserved alligators are less prone to damage over centuries than more delicate specimens, meaning that more of them have survived to give the impression that ''every'' apothecary had one.

* The dog wizard Tibbeth's shop in ''Literature/StrangerAtTheWedding'' (1994) by Creator/BarbaraHambly: "A mummified crocodile hung from the low rafters overhead." The trope is played with, in that it is a common wizard's prop in-universe, and its use is eventually explained -- it's hanging until it is entirely mummified, at which point it will be cut to pieces for use in potions and replaced by a fresh one.

-->The stuffed crocodile hanging from the ceiling; the leather-bound books, an astrolabe, convex and concave mirrors, odd scientific instruments

* Mentioned in Book 1 of ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'' (2003) in the description of the magician Arthur Underwood's study. The djinni Bartimaeus notes that this, along with other stereotypical "wizardly" paraphernalia, is a good indication that Underwood is a second rate poser, trying to hide his incompetence behind spooky-looking knickknacks that impress the {{Muggles}} but don't have any practical use, whereas the truly powerful magicians favor a sleek, modern look (and as later events demonstrate, calling Underwood a "second rate poser" might be considered overly generous).

[[folder:Real Life]]
* In Chinese herbal medicine, dried crocodile has been used to treat breathing disorders; any crocodilian merit aside, this might have done some good because the dried crocodiles were typically preserved with a strong addition of camphor, which is known to help relieve mild asthma. Unfortunately, this combined with China's issues with air quality have had a negative affect on the population levels of of Asian crocodilians.
* A Cabinet of Curiosity exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science has an alligator mounted upside down from the ceiling.
* The Apothecary Museum at Heidelberg Castle in Germany has an alligator hanging from the ceiling in one room.
* German engraver Albrecht Dürer might have contributed to this: in his depiction of TheSevenDeadlySins, he attempted to depict Anger with her totemic animal, a dragon; what emerges is something that looks more like a crocodile or an alligator. His depiction of the seven Sins became a mediaeval meme and spread widely. Therefore, to redress any imbalance of the humours caused by an excess of Anger, essences derived from her totemic animal are the logical choice for the cutting-edge modern apothecary.
[[/folder]]

* In a creepy variant, the goblin spellcaster from ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' module "DDA4: The Dymrak Dread" has a preserved ''lizardfolk'' carcass on display in his workshop.

* "The Inspection", the third painting in Hogarth's ''Art/MarriageALaMode'', sees Viscount Squanderfield visiting the office of manifestly unqualified French surgeon Monsieur de la Pillule. Among the many oddities cluttering the room is a stuffed alligator hanging from the ceiling... with an ostrich egg hanging from its stomach. The nonsensical arrangement is yet another piece of evidence that de la Pillule is a quack.

* "The Inspection", the third painting in Hogarth's ''Art/MarriageALaMode'', sees Viscount Squanderfield visiting the office of manifestly unqualified French surgeon Doctor de la Pillule. Among the many oddities cluttering the room is a stuffed alligator hanging from the ceiling... with an ostrich egg hanging from its stomach. The nonsensical arrangement is yet another piece of evidence that de la Pillule is a quack.

** In ''Discworld/SoulMusic'' (1994), Quoth the Raven says that "the old stuffed alligator hanging from the ceiling" is a key part of wizardry, like dribbly candles and "[[TechnicolorScience bubbling green stuff in bottles]]". He scornfully adds that the wizards "get it all out of a catalogue. Believe me, it all comes in a big box".

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' of Creator/AAPessimal, the change brought about in Wizardry after the time of ''Discworld/{{Sourcery}}'' has rendered the fashion for stuffed alligators obselete and pretty much a thing of the past. Mustrum Ridcully is not pleased to discover the University still has an expensive and hazardous breeding programme for crocodilians of all sorts and points out that keeping them in a large breeding tank restrained only by insecure and haphazard magic is not a bright thing to do. These - and the tigers kept to provide miscellaneous body parts and secretions for old-time magical preparations - are packed off to the newly-established City Zoo for safekeeping. In a cost-cutting exercise and "rationalisation programme, Ridcully, and Ponder Stibbons, also take the opportunity to pack off the related and now nearly redundant School of Magical Taxidermy and one entire Department - the School of Para, Neo, Eldritch and Crypto Zoology - to purpose-built facilities at the Zoo. [[HilarityInZoos Hilarity Ensues]].

-->-- ''Discworld/{{Mort}}''

** ''Discworld/TheLightFantastic'' (1986):

** Cutwell's workshop in ''Discworld/{{Mort}}'' (1987).

* In the The ''Game of Thrones'' fanfic ''Fanfic/ABalladOfTheDragonAndSheWolf'' Qyburn has a large mummified [[CallARabbitASmeerp lizard lion]] hanging from the ceiling of his lab among many other [[CollectorOfTheStrange creepy artifacts]].

* In the ''Series/GameOfThrones'' fanfic ''FanWork/ABalladOfTheDragonAndSheWolf'' Qyburn has a large mummified [[CallARabbitASmeerp lizard lion]] hanging from the ceiling of his lab among many other [[CollectorOfTheStrange creepy artifacts]].

* In the ''Series/GameOfThrones'' fanfic ''FanWorks/ABalladOfTheDragonAndSheWolf'' Qyburn has a large mummified [[CallARabbitASmeerp lizard lion]] hanging from the ceiling of his lab among many other [[CollectorOfTheStrange creepy artifacts]].