Here's another angle:  A book by Amos Long, Jr., titled The Pennsylvania
German Family Farm (Publications of the Pennsylvania German Society, vol.
VI, Breinigsville, Pa. 1972) has a chapter on "The
Malthouse--Stillhouse--Winery" that may be of help to you.  The stillhouse
he describes was a place for making spirits of various kinds, from
ingredients that included fruits, flowers, berries, roots etc.--many of
which had herbal/medicinal properties.  Though the stillhouse he describes
was a detached structure, depending on the scale of household production,
you could probably transpose parts of the operation to a room ("still
room").  I hope this note gets back to the person who first asked the
question.

Liz Hardin
Registrar/Researcher
Doon Heritage Crossroads
Kitchener, ON


At 08:36 AM 10/31/1997 -0700, you wrote:
>This is an old posting I just rec'd.. but in case you had few answers,
>check in older herbals ,  books on housewifery, cooking.. I know I
encountered
>the term in Elizabethan works,  Mrs. Raffalds Cookery..most large households
>seem to have had a small room, similar to a pantry, with a dry sink, wet
>sink, heat source, tools for pounding, infusing, for various household
>needs, including  remedies, potpourris, salves, furniture polish, and in
>earlier times, the expensive spices would also be kept there under lock
>and key.   The term might be based on distilling that took place there,
>or just  that drying herbsneeded to be kept somewhat dust -free.  Later
>recommendations include  enclosing them loosely in a cloth or paper bag
>to hang, in order to keep off smoke, dust and insects.
>You might also try to get a copy of Sir Kenelm Digbies Closet Open'd,
>where I think you'll find description of the ideal setup.
>
>