Felton, Grimwade & Co., was founded in 1867, when A. Felton and F. S. Grimwade took over the wholesale drug business of Youngman & Co. (1). Felton, Grimwade & Co., soon expanded into other areas including the manufacture of drugs and perfumes as well as establishing a Chemical Company and the Melbourne Glass Bottle Works. Given that liquids, powders and potions were all packaged in glass bottles and jars at the time, this was logical move.
The Felton of Felton Grimwade was Alfred Felton (1831-1904), who, before the partnership, had his own wholesale drug business. After his death his estate provided the funds for the Felton Bequest which purchased works of art for the National Gallery in Melbourne and supported charities. His partner was Frederick Sheppard Grimwade (1840-1910). Grimwade also had a background in the drug business as his father owned a wholesale drug company in England (2).
Felton never married, but in 1865, Grimwade married Jessie Sprunt (1842-1916) and they had nine children. Apparently, Felton and Grimwade, were not only business partners but were also to spend their afterlife together at the St Kilda Cemetery. A report notes that Alfred Felton's body was interred in the family vault belonging to the deceased and Mr. Grimwade (3) and after Mr Grimwade's death it was reported the remains will be interred in the grave of the late Mr. Felton (4).
This story exists because I come across this 1884 image of their factories.
Image: State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/257357
Image originally published in the Australasian Sketcher of March 12, 1884,
The top images are the Chemical Works and Bi-Sulphide of Carbon works at Sandridge (Port Melbourne); the middle image are the Glass Works in Graham Street, South Melbourne. At the bottom are the Laboratory & Drug Mills, Jeffcott Street, West Melbourne and the Leech Aquarium, part of Drug works.
It was the Leech Aquarium that caught my eye, because that seemed a bit unusual.
The Leech Aquarium of Felton, Grimwade & Co.
Detail of image, above.
Leeches have been used in medicine for centuries to remove blood from the body, thought necessary for a variety of conditions. Leech saliva has a substance which acts as an anti-coagulant on the blood and therefore increases blood flow which the leeches absorb (5). In fact, so common was it that one report in 1893 noted the palmy days of leeching, when "blood him" was the advice of every physician upon the slightest provocation (6).
The Argus reported in April 1870 -
Few persons have any conception of the magnitude of the leech trade. France is said to consume yearly 100,000,000 of leeches, England and Germany the same, and other countries in proportion. From official statistics of France, Germany, Russia, Italy, and Turkey, it has been gathered that the prime cost of leeches sold in Europe exceeds £2,000,000 per annum (7).
This same report continues -
Some parts of Australia abound with leeches, those which frequent the Murray river being preferred
by the medical faculty to any other known specimen. They bite freely, and leave no inflammatory wound or mark behind. They thus equal, if they do not surpass, the famed speckled leech of Northern Europe. Messrs. Felton, Grimwade, and Co., of Melbourne, took measures some time ago for the conservation of the Murray leeches, and their contracts with the fishermen in the Murray district for the past season exceeded half a million. We are informed that the intercolonial demand is almost equal to the supply (8).
Some of these leeches were imported and this is the method used to keep them alive on their journey overseas -
The leeches have been packed in boxes of soft clay made to resemble as much as possible the muddy bottom of the river, which is their ordinary resort (9).
Ten years later, in March 1880, The Age reported on Felton and Grimwade's leech business -
A contract has been taken by a resident of Echuca to supply to Messrs. Felton, Grimwade and Co., of Melbourne, 250,000 leeches. The Riverina Herald says the contract has been nearly completed, and on Thursday afternoon 50 lb. weight of leeches were sent down. The leeches are caught in the Moira Lakes, and are tied up in bags about the size of shot bags. Six of these bags are slung across a stick and are enclosed in a fruit case (10).
I don't know when the Leech Aquarium was erected but it was located at their Drug Mill and Laboratory, which was in Jeffcott Street. This was one of several buildings on land between Spencer and Adderley Streets, built around 1878. In 1906, a three-story office building facing Spencer Street was added (11).
The Australasian Sketcher of 1884 has this description of the complex -
The Drug Mills and Laboratory are in Jeffcott-street, West Melbourne, and consist of a handsome range of buildings, in red and white brick. Over these we are shown by the manager, Mr. Jackson, who referred with justifiable pride to the announcement telegraphed from Calcutta of the award to Felton, Grimwade, and Co. of a diploma of honour and no less than three gold medals for their various products. Some of these products we see in process of manufacture. In the mill-room linseed meal is being ground, in one room fluid magnesia is being made and bottled, another is devoted to yeast powder, another to Kruse's insecticide. We are shown through drying-rooms, packing-rooms, engine-room, and a large and busy laboratory, savouring strongly of medicinal tinctures and extracts. Beyond this are stills for the manufacture of nitrous ether, &c., and an elaborate and costly-looking apparatus for the manufacture of liquid ammonia. In the yard are sheds filled with the raw materials and packages required for the various manufactures, and at the end of the garden attached to the manager's residence a detached wooden building filled with leech tanks, in which large supplies of leeches are kept constantly stored. The aspect of the place is altogether one of busy and thriving industry (12).
Frederick Grimwade's 1910 obituary has this interesting but I believe not necessarily accurate, take on their leech business -
In 1870 he visited Echuca, and contracted for the delivery of 1,000,000 leeches at 10/ a thousand. They were caught by aborigines, who waded into swamps and allowed the leeches to fasten to their bodies. The leeches were sent packed in cases to a leech aquarium at South Melbourne, and-shipped to Europe, where they brought 30/ a hundred (13).
Firstly, the aquarium was in West Melbourne, as the 1884 contemporary report (above) confirms. The West Melbourne location is also confirmed by the 1937 reminiscences of former employee -
In their chemical laboratory in West Melbourne men and women were kept working. I was one of sixty there. Leeches were required by the medical profession more then than they are now. So Felton and Grimwade must have a leech house built there (14).
Regarding this sentence from Frederick Grimwade's obituary - [the leeches] were caught by aborigines, who waded into swamps and allowed the leeches to fasten to their bodies. Fascinating, if true, but I would like to see other evidence to support this, as I haven't seen this anywhere else, and certainly the 1870 report (above) states that the firm was supplied by fishermen in the Murray District (15).
From the few reports I have seen it did not seem to be necessary catch a leech by having them latch on to your body. Here are some methods of catching leeches. This is from 1870 -
Joseph Hendricks, of fruit and fish-selling note at Pleasant Creek, proposes to devote himself in future to leech-finding in the lakes. He reckons to catch 3000 per day if the weather be warm, and to sell them for 30s per 1000. He does not divest himself of his clothing, but after perturbing the waters, skims the surface with a small net and thus secures his prey (16).
A 1893 article noted the following way that leeches were collected -
The method of catching them was, and is, to throw a freshly removed sheepskin into the water where they live. When the skin is taken out the leeches are found clinging to it by hundreds (17).
This was the method described in 1915, under the heading - Boys and Leeches.
Dr. J. Leach, of the Education Department, has initiated a scheme to help the Melbourne Public Hospital, in addition to assist the Children's War Fund, and finally to send food to heroic Belgians.
8,000 leeches are needed by the hospital and each school is invited to send as many as possible in small tins containing damp grass, and posted to Dr. Leach. Teachers' College, Carlton. He will deliver to the hospital authorities, and forward the cash to the schools for the Belgian Fund. He warns children not to go near deep water, nor to run any risk. Dr. Leach adopts the following plan for catching leeches :- Sink a loose meshed sack, such as a potato bag, bated with a scrap or two of raw meat, in a shallow water hole where leeches abound. After some hours the harvest may be gathered in safety. Price paid 10s per 100. The black leech is not used. It is the five striped leech which is needed at once, before the first frost causes them to hibernate. The postal address of each school sending must be plainly stated (18).
In spite of the fact that the aptly named Dr Leach seemed to think only boys collected leeches, it was a past-time for girls as well. Ada Crossley (1871-1929) was born in Tarraville in South Gippsland and became an internationally renowned singer. She was interviewed in 1903 and said -
I am still as fond of fun as in the old Gippsland days when as a youngster I caught leeches and sold them to a local chemist in order to buy a ticket for a travelling circus (19).
Before we leave the topic of leech catching, in 1917 Labor Call, the newspaper of the Political Labour Council of Victoria, suggests that Frederick Grimwade's own son was sent out to catch leeches -
Norton Grimwade [is] an upstart pill and poison seller of Melbourne.... His father was one of the
firm of Felton and Grimwade, and he started in life by a successful use of his legs for leech-catching in ponds. The article continues with a scathing account of Norton and his father, one of the harshest oppressors of the workers (20). It is possibly true that Norton caught leeches for the family business, however as he was the oldest child and was only four in 1870 when the Company commenced their large leech operation it seems unlikely (21).
Felton, Grimwade & Co, may have been the largest leech merchant but they were not the only ones. They did, however, cover all aspects of the leech market as Chemists and households would keep their leeches in a leech jar or 'aquarium' which was conveniently available for purchase from Felton, Grimwade & Co.
Products sold by Felton, Grimwade & Co., in 1872
The Argus, September 24, 1872 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5839344
Here are some advertisements from other leech merchants who operated in Victoria over the past 180 years.
1841 - The finest leeches seen in Port Phillip.
Port Phillip Patriot, February 11, 1841 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/226511316
1848 - Leeches in Geelong.
Geelong Advertiser, May 6, 1848 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/91458473
1853 - Leeches from Upper Plenty
The Banner, November 8, 1853 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179481843
1859 - Charles Armstrong, sole agent for Lake Moira leeches
Bendigo Advertiser, October 12, 1859 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87992785
From 1862, Alfred Felton began advertising leeches for sale.
This was before his partnership with Frederick Grimwade.
The Age, June 24 1863 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/154965450
1866 - Negus & Co., Leech Merchants
Bell's Life in Victoria November 24, 1866 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/199056923
1870 - Felton, Grimwade & Co., advertisement.
The Argus, October 31, 1870 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/5837089
1870 - The Melbourne Hospital invites a tender for the supply of leeches
The Age, December 27, 1870 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189330607
1874 - Leeches from the Murray, apply to Hirundo.
Hirudinea is the scientific name for leeches.
The Age, November 14, 1874 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/201533835
1882 - Leeches for sale form Rocke, Tompsitt & Co.
The Age, June 9, 1882 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/202529903
1885 - Attention - Leech catchers in Echuca
Riverine Herald, December 4, 1885 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114638122
1889 - H. Francis & Co. will purchase leeches
The Age, August 19, 1889 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197325600
By the 1890s, the demand for leeches had declined, as confirmed by this 1895 report, which also noted the leeches success in predicting changes in the weather -
When leeches were kept in every chemist's shop, and often in private houses, their behavior was subject of constant observation; and it was generally noticed that in still weather, dry or wet, they remained at the bottom, but rose often as much as 24 hours in advance, before a change, and in case of a thunderstorm rose very quickly to the surface, descending when it was past (22).
However, Felton, Grimwade & Co.,were still in the leech business in 1916, as confirmed by this answer to a correspondent in the Bendigo Advertiser in 1916 -
We are informed that there is no market in Bendigo for leeches, the chemists obtaining requirements from Melbourne. Messrs. Felton, Grimwade and Co., of Melbourne, who have special means of keeping leeches alive, buy from recognised suppliers in large quantities during certain seasons. The prices given, we believe, range from 17/6 to 25/ per thousand (23).
This 1916 article is the last I can find which has a connection between Grimwade, Felton & Co. and the leech trade. However, as we saw before, leeches were still being used in hospitals at this time, as Dr Leach of the Education Department, was urging boys to collect leeches for the Hospital.
In the end, Dr Leach's campaign was successful as The Argus reported in April 1916. The article has many engaging leech facts, so it is reproduced in full -It may not be generally known that the leech is still largely used in medical practice. Each year about 8,000 are used in the Melbourne Hospital, mainly in cases of pneumonia, in which they have a beneficial effect in easing the characteristic pain in the back. They are used, too, in cases of bruising. The leeches are collected mainly by the school children of the State, in swamps and ponds. Some months ago it was feared that the supply for this winter would fall short, as it did last, and an appeal was made to the children, who are paid 5/ a hundred for the leeches. One small boy reassured the Hospital by writing:-"I will send as many leeches as possible as soon as possible,''
Soon the leeches began to arrive. Now there are about 8,000 of them-a year's supply-stored in stone filter-cases, with six inches of pebbles at the bottom of the water. Against these pebbles they scrape off the slime, which would otherwise kill them. Most of them come from the Murray and Goulburn districts. The children fish for them with baits of meat; some daring youngsters wade in the swamps, and the leeches fasten on their bare legs.
Some years ago, in the old dispensary of the Melbourne Hospital, the gauze was found to have been removed from the top of the vessels in which the leeches were kept, and the leeches vanished, not one being found in a search of the dispensary. It was finally found that the rats were the culprits, it being surmised that they put their tails into the water, and that the leeches, fastening upon these baits gratefully, were drawn up and eaten. The leeches are not fed. They are thus more ready to do their work of blood-sucking when the time comes. When once they have gorged themselves they are discarded. The reason for discarding them is obvious-one cannot sterilise a leech. If, however, one wishes to keep them as pets afterwards, it is interesting to know that about four months' rest is necessary before the leech is ready for business again (24).
On September 26, 1917, a factory in the West Melbourne site, was wracked by a explosion, which fortunately caused no loss of life. The reports tell us that -
Since the war began, the manufacture of carbolic acid has been carried on by Messrs Felton, Grimwade and Company at their works in Jeffcott street, West Melbourne. Today the works were destroyed by fire, the result of an explosion in a naphthalene retort. The extent of the damage, which was great, has not yet been estimated. Thick black clouds of smoke hung over the western end of the city, and caused thousands of people to run to see the fire. The factory was of iron, and four men were at work when the retort exploded. Nobody was injured. In an instant there was a huge flame which shot right through the factory, where carbolic acid, lysol substitutes, cresol, and naphthaline wore in process of manufacture. The plant was quickly gutted. Hundreds of gallons of carbolic acid, cresol, and caustic, and many barrels of raw naphthalene were destroyed (25).
Since the war began, the manufacture of carbolic acid has been carried on by Messrs Felton, Grimwade and Company at their works in Jeffcott street, West Melbourne. Today the works were destroyed by fire, the result of an explosion in a naphthalene retort. The extent of the damage, which was great, has not yet been estimated. Thick black clouds of smoke hung over the western end of the city, and caused thousands of people to run to see the fire. The factory was of iron, and four men were at work when the retort exploded. Nobody was injured. In an instant there was a huge flame which shot right through the factory, where carbolic acid, lysol substitutes, cresol, and naphthaline wore in process of manufacture. The plant was quickly gutted. Hundreds of gallons of carbolic acid, cresol, and caustic, and many barrels of raw naphthalene were destroyed (25).
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The Laboratory and Drug Mills, Jeffcott Street, West Melbourne.
Detail of image at the top of the post.
As you can see from the image above, the West Melbourne Complex was a large one, with many different buildings and I have no information as to which building was destroyed. However, they were still producing drugs, or pharmaceuticals, on the West Melbourne site into the 1950s at least (26). What of the Leech Aquarium? I have no information as to when it closed.
Trove - I have created a list of articles on the Leech Trade and the Leech Aquarium of Felton, Grimwade and their role in the Leech Trade, access it here.
Footnotes
(1) The Argus, July 1 1867, see here.
(2) Alfred Felton (1831-1904), Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here; Frederick Sheppard Grimwade, Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here.
(3) The Leader, January 16, 1904, see here.
(4) The Age, August 5, 1901, see here.
(6) The Age, June 24, 1893, see here.
(7) The Argus, April 26, 1870, see here.
(8) Ibid
(9) Ibid
(10) The Age, March 20, 1880, see here.
(11) Punch, August 27, 1907, see here.
(12) Australasian Sketcher, March 12, 1884, see here.
(13) The Age, August 5, 1910, see here.
(14) The Age, March 27, 1937, see here.
(15) The Argus, April 26, 1870, see here.
(16) Mount Alexander Mail, November 14, 1870, see here.
(17) The Age, June 24, 1893, see here.
(18) West Gippsland Gazette, April 27, 1915, see here.
(19) The Argus, October 3, 1903, see here. Ada Crossley - Australian Dictionary of Biography entry, here.
(20) Labor Call, March 29, 1917, see here.
(21) Read the Australian Dictionary of Biography entry for Norton, Harold and Russell Grimwade, here. Russell Grimwade owned a property in Baxter, where he grew geraniums for the perfume industry and during World War Two, herbs for use in the drug trade. I have written about this here, https://victoriaspast.blogspot.com/2023/01/geranium-harvesting-and-ten-acres-of.html
(22) The Herald, October 21, 1895, see here.
(23) Bendigo Advertiser, November 10, 1916, see here.
(24) The Argus, April 27, 1916, see here.
(25) The Herald, September 26, 1917, see here.
