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Traditional Māori and Early Colonial Medicine Storage
Introduction
Since the origins of medicine, storing remedies safely has been essential for ensuring their effectiveness and safety. We will explore the traditional Māori methods and how the arrival of European medicine significantly influenced and altered methods in New Zealand. Improper storage can lead to contamination, degradation, and harmful side effects for consumers. Key factors to consider include temperature, humidity, light exposure, and packaging quality. Next, we will examine how these factors were managed in earlier periods of New Zealand’s medical history.
Māori Methods
Traditional Māori communities had a system of healing and medicine called Rongoā, where they utilised herbal, physical remedies, and spiritual practices. Many physical medicines were medicinal plants, prepared either dried or fresh. These plants were likely stored using the same methods as food, as their medicines were generally derived from plants.
Medicines were stored in containers made with natural materials, although these materials are not ideal by modern standards. Common container options included pōhā, flax containers and hue. Pōhā were traditional bags made from southern bull kelp (rimurapa). Pōhā were hollowed out, inflated, dried, and then used to store and transport food (including medicines) while providing an airtight seal for preservation. Flax containers were woven into various forms (e.g., kete baskets) and used to store dried plants and other medicinal items. Hue were also used for the storage of preserved herbs; after the fruits of the gourds are eaten, the hollowed-out remains make excellent vessels for water, food, and medicine.
Traditional Māori medicine did not utilise written labels. Instead, the knowledge about medicinal plants, their abilities, preparation methods, and dosages was transmitted orally from tohunga to apprentices. This ensured that the information remained within the community.
European Method
Before coming to New Zealand, Europeans mostly accessed medicine through apothecaries, essentially the ancient equivalent of pharmacies. The ingredients used were stored in apothecary jars, which were extensively decorated with drawings and usually labelled with the Latin name of the intended contents. However, these jars often lacked dosage instructions, as they mainly contained raw ingredients or pre-prepared medicines. The shape of these jars varied depending on the nature of the contents. Wet jars that held liquids had a spout and handles for convenience. Dry jars that held dry ingredients were usually cylindrical. Dry jars that held pills tended to be smaller, while jars for display purposes were larger and more elaborately decorated. Apothecary jars were made out of porcelain and glazed with tin oxide. While this tin glaze did help protect the porcelain, the glaze could leak and come in contact with the contents of the jar, causing contamination. These reactions could produce toxic substances that were unfavorable for consumption. Originally, these jars would have had parchment or fabric lids that were tied to protect their contents from dust and dirt. However, at a microscopic level, these lids did nothing to protect the ingredients from microbes, as they did not provide air-tight seals.
When coming to New Zealand, the majority of the medicine that early European settlers had access to was the medicine that they travelled with. The containers that stored those medicines reflected European medical norms: glass bottles and tin containers.
Glass containers were used to store liquid medicines due to their non-reactive and airtight nature. These bottles were usually sealed with wax or cork. Tin containers were used for solid medicines like pills, powders, and salves because of their durable and light nature. The shapes and colours of containers varied due to the diversity of manufacturers and styles in Europe. The labelling for these containers used papers that were either printed out or handwritten. However, these were not always durable as ink could fade, and paper could peel. Once sorted, these containers were stored in wooden medicine chests either lined or sectioned for organisation. Over time, apothecaries were established, and jars were imported from Europe into New Zealand.
In 2025, Our Health Journeys continued our partnership with Saint Kentigern College in Auckland to challenge a number of students to conduct research into an aspect of the medical history of Aotearoa New Zealand. The students, ranging from Years 8-13, produced their research in written, oral, or video format and the top projects were chosen for publication to Our Health Journeys.