William Quail Johnston used the first notebook in this collection while he was a student in the University of Tennessee's Pharmacy program between 1900 and 1903. It consists primarily of instructions for mixing various medicines and creams, including the names and amounts of the requisite chemicals. There are also several slips of paper pasted into the book, including one from fellow student James T. Moran and several from the pharmacists at the Custom House Drug Company and at the Market Square Drug Company in Knoxville. The front cover bears two inscriptions, one written by William Johnson stating that the book belongs to him and listing the two pharmacies he worked for and one written by Cecilia Johnston indicating that she lent the book out after William Johnston's death.

Johnston compiled the second notebook (which contains instructions for mixing various cleansers, beauty aids, and medicines) while working at the Market Square Drug Company. It opens with an index and continues through page 86. Except for pages 241-260, the remainder of the ledger is blank. The last page has a note written by Cecilia Johnston describing the book's contents and indicating that she lent it out.