Large pill knife with tapered, pointed steel blade and wooden handle, 1850-1900

Pills are a way to dispense medicine to customers in accurate and easy to take doses. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many pills were prepared by the pharmacist in their pharmacy. They first would have mixed the active ingredients and a binding agent until they held together. This formed the pill mass. Next, the pharmacist rolled the pill mass into a long even cylinder on a pill tile. A pill knife like this one would then have been used to divide the pill mass into individual pills of the correct size and dosage. The individual pills were then shaped and finished before they were ready to be dispensed to the customer.

Large pill knife with flat steel blade and wooden handle, 1850-1900. ‘S Maw. Son & Thompson, 7 to 12 Aldersgate St’ is inscribed on the blade

Pills are a way to dispense medicine to customers in accurate and easy to take doses. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many pills were prepared by the pharmacist in their pharmacy. They first would have mixed the active ingredients and a binding agent until they held together. This formed the pill mass. A flat pill knife, like this, would then have been used to shape and form the pill mass into a long, even cylinder on a pill tile. The rolled pill mass could be divided into individual pills of the correct size and dosage. The pills were then shaped and finished before they were ready to be dispensed to the customer.

Large pill knife with flat steel blade and wooden handle, 1850-1900. ‘Maw. Son & Sons Ltd, Made in England’ is inscribed on the blade.

Pills are a way to dispense medicine to customers in accurate and easy to take doses. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many pills were prepared by the pharmacist in their pharmacy. They first would have mixed the active ingredients and a binding agent until they held together. This formed the pill mass. A flat pill knife, like this, would then have been used to shape and form the pill mass into a long, even cylinder on a pill tile. The rolled pill mass could be divided into individual pills of the correct size and dosage. The pills were then shaped and finished before they were ready to be dispensed to the customer.