Medicine dispenser, England, 1950-1960

Medicine dispenser, intended for wall mounting, with mirrored glass top reading 'For convenience of Visitors' '6d in slot' and five internal columns for tablet containers accessed by coin-in-slot pull drawers, four labelled 'Aspirin', 'Soda mint', 'Dr Maclean's stomach powder' and 'Cascara' and one unlabelled; four containers of Cascara tablets remain, marked property of The Allied Chemical Co Ltd, a subsidiary of The British Automatic Co. Ltd, London, England, c.1950-1960.

Made to be mounted on a wall, this dispenser provided a range of basic medicines for the price of 6 pennies. The purchaser could choose from one packet of either aspirin, soda mint (for indigestion and heartburn), Dr MacLean’s stomach power or cascara (a laxative).

As the sign on the mirror reads “For the convenience of visitors”, the dispenser may have been placed in a hospital – or perhaps a hotel.