Thomas Preston (302)

Thomas Preston (?–?1834) was a pharmacist, and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1771. Or so we believe based on extensive research: relative unknowns (unknown to us through archival material) occasionally became Members in these early years, owing to their stature within the nascent APS community, especially in Philadelphia.

Based in Philadelphia, Preston may have run an apothecary called the “Golden Mortar,” where he rose to prominence importing the latest patent medicines from London: at least by 1768 and 1769 he advertised such wares in the Pennsylvania Gazette. Notably, this Thomas Preston possessed a massive library of literature: chemical, medical, and scientific in nature. He may have lived well into the 19th century, performing public demonstrations involving laughing gas in Philadelphia and New York.