Before the partitions of Poland Gdańsk was its largest town and an important centre of science. Such scientists as astronomer Johannes Hevelius, geographer Philip Cluver, physicists Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit and Daniel Gralath and many others were born or active here. There were also achievements in medicine and pharmacology. Pharmacies existed since 1399, a hospital for contagious diseases since 1515. Johannes Placotomus from Gdańsk wrote a handbook of pharmacy in 1560. In 1597 the Apothecary Act was issued. In 1613 Joachim Oehlhaf carried out first public post mortem in Central Europe. In 1665 Johann Ernst Scheffler and Johann Schmiedt elaborated Poland’s first Pharmacopea, i.e. the collection of official prescriptions for medicaments. Their lives are presented in detail. Both studied abroad. Scheffler practised at the Royal Court of Poland. His epitaph is in St. Nicholas church in Gdańsk. Schmiedt was the world’s third to apply intravenous injections. His house is in Gdańsk at the Piwna Street.