Jonny, as Xay asked, have you changed your computer's system clock to play the game faster? Also, have you used any kind of "trainer" or game cheat to help you get tech points or food more quickly?

If you make a villager drop one of the alchemy items, it will seem to disappear, but it goes back to its original location. You should try looking there. If you've used a cheat utility, however, your game might be damaged. We've already seen one case of that with another player.