Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations ...

Welcome to Smithsonian Open Access, where you can download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images—right now, without asking. With new platforms and tools, you have easier access to ...

This story appears in the November/December 2016 issue of National Geographic History magazine. An 18th-century copper still from Morocco, essential equipment in a Muslim physician’s medical kit.