Antique Pharmaceutical Pill Press. England, Circa 1880

This curious article is a pill or cachet machine with all its accessories and in its original wooden box. The machine comes from London, England and was made in the late 19th century (circa 1880). It is a real Victorian article, a piece full of charm and history. The item is made of golden metal and comes with a series of tools needed to prepare the cachets: funnels, nozzles and wooden pieces. The box is made of walnut-covered pinewood. Both the machine and the case are in excellent condition. Cachets (pills) started being produced in the pharmacies in order to hide the unpleasant taste of powder medicines and facilitate their intake. In order to prepare the cachets, the chemist would mix the powder medicine with licorice extract and liquid glucose. The mix was put between two pieces of paper or two matzo wafers, previously moistened to join together. This way the chemist could make cachets of different sizes and thickness, easy to commercialize and for the patient to take. The machine that we can see in these images is composed of a thick metal piece with the gaps for the different cachets. It is connected to two metal plates attached by hinges, probably designed to make cachets of different sizes. The wooden box has a side compartment to store the funnels, nozzles and wooden tools. The box is beautiful, made of solid pinewood covered outside by walnut veneer. Attached to the inner side of the lid there is a brass plate with the embossed inscription MORDSTAT CACHETS and the manufacturers name and address: T. CHRISTY & Co 25 LIME ST LONDON. So evocative, this cachet machine in its original box will shine in a showcase with a collection of medical and pharmacy antiques. Measurements: Width: 11.8 in /30 cm. Height: 7.4 in / 19 cm.