Chapireau cachet machine and accessories in wooden box

Chapireau cachet machine and accessories in wooden box, complete, 1850-1900

Details

Category:
Pharmacy-ware
Object Number:
1988-1001
Materials:
box, wood and apparatus, metal
type:
cachet filling apparatus
credit:
St. Peter's Convent

Parts

Presses and funnels from Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900

Presses and funnels from Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900

Wooden box containing parts from a Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900, including wooden flattening presses and different size funnels.

More

Cachet machines were used by pharmacists to prepare powdered medicine for customers. They were developed in the late 1800s, partly as a way to make taking bitter medication easier. The machine was used to sandwich the medicine between two rice paper discs. One disc was placed in one of the machine’s moulds and then a specific dose of medicine would have been poured in with one of these funnels. The top disc was moistened so it would seal and then finally it was pressed onto the bottom disc, using this wooden press and the correct size attachment.

The customer would have taken the cachet by dipping it in water to soften it and then swallowing the cachet with glass of water.

Object Number:
1988-1001/1
type:
cachet machine
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Tray and moulds from Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900

Tray and moulds from Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900

Tray from a Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900 with moulds for making ten cachets. The tray is also the lid of the wooden box.

More

Cachet machines were used by pharmacists to prepare powdered medicine for customers. They were developed in the late 1800s, partly as a way to make taking bitter medication easier. The machine was used to sandwich the medicine between two rice paper discs. One disc was placed in one of these moulds and then a specific dose of medicine would have been poured in with a funnel. The top disc was moistened so it would seal and then finally it was pressed onto the bottom disc, using a wooden press and the correct size attachment.

The customer would have taken the cachet by dipping it in water to soften it and then swallowing the cachet with glass of water.

Object Number:
1988-1001/2
type:
cachet machine
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Damper from Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900

Damper from Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900

Damper to moisten cachets from Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900.

More

Cachet machines were used by pharmacists to prepare powdered medicine for customers. They were developed in the late 1800s, partly as a way to make taking bitter medication easier. The machine was used to sandwich the medicine between two rice paper discs. One disc was placed in one of the machine’s moulds and then a specific dose of the medicine would have been poured in with a funnel. The top disc was moistened using this damper so it would seal and then finally it was pressed onto the bottom disc, using a wooden press and the correct size attachment.

The customer would have taken the cachet by dipping it in water to soften it and then swallowing the cachet with glass of water.

Object Number:
1988-1001/3
type:
cachet machine and damper
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Cachets for Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900

Cachets for Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900

Rice paper cachets used with Chapireau cachet machine, 1850-1900.

More

Cachet machines were used by pharmacists to prepare powdered medicine for customers. They were developed in the late 1800s, partly as a way to make taking bitter medication easier. The machine was used to sandwich the medicine between two of these rice paper discs. One disc was placed in one of the machine’s moulds and then a specific dose of the medicine would have been poured in with a funnel. The top disc was moistened so it would seal and then finally it was pressed onto the bottom disc, using a wooden press and the correct size attachment.

The customer would have taken the cachet by dipping it in water to soften it and then swallowing the cachet with glass of water.

Object Number:
1988-1001/4
type:
cachet
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum