Complete Antique Pharmaceutical Pill Press. England, Circa 1900

Attractive antique cachet press for medical or pharmaceutical use in quite good condition, made in London in the late 19th century (circa 1900). The press keeps all its accessories and pieces, made of silvery metal and brass and stored in a sober dark wood box. All this elements make up a fine article with a singular charm, an elegant and authentic Victorian antique. The sturdy solid wooden box and the press with its different pats are original from the period and remain in working order. The press is quite easy to use. After mixing the ingredients, the mix is injected in a determined compartment of the press in order to create a cachet or pill of an adequate size. Pills date back to roughly 1500 BC: they are thought to have been invented so that measured amounts of a medicinal substance could be delivered to a patient. Earlier than that, recipes were generally for liquid preparations. In the Victorian era, chemists 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. After pressing them, the pill would be sealed and ready to take. The press that we can see in the images is composed of three folding silvery-metal plates, joined together by two hinges. It comes with a set of eleven accessories: nozzles, plungers, a cork stopper and a varnished wooden piece. The storing box is a lovely item, made of solid pinewood and with a fine finish that imitates mahogany wood. It preserves the original hinges and metalwork; inside the lid we can see an oval brass plate with the manufacturers embossed name: MORDSTAT CACHETS T.CHRISTY & CO. OLD SWAN LANE. Original and antique, this Victorian cachet press will look great in an elegant pharmacy or inside a collectors showcase. Measurements (Box): Width: 12.5 in / 32 cm. Depth: 7.4 in / 19 cm.