Travellers' steel medicine chest containing 11 medicines

Made:
1901-1930 in London
maker:
Burroughs Wellcome and Company Limited
Travellers' steel medicine chest containing 11 medicines

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Travellers' steel medicine chest containing 11 medicines
Science Museum Group
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Travellers' steel medicine chest containing 11 medicines, by Burroughs Wellcome, English, early 20th century

Details

Category:
Emergency Medicine
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A651296
Materials:
case, steel and bottles (11), glass
type:
medicine chest

Parts

Bottle of comprssed opium tablets

Bottle of comprssed opium tablets

Small glass bottle of opium tablets with tin screw top from a small steel medicine chest. 70 mm x 20 mm x 25 mm, 38g. Labels on the chest reveal it was created for travellers to tropic areas. White paper label with black type face reads, ' POISON/ Burroughs, Wellcome & Co/ 'Tabloids'/ of compressed/ OPIUM 1/2 gr./ Directions.- One or two 'tab/ loids' may be swallowed with a/ little water as a sedative, or for / the relief of pain./ Snowhill Buildings, London, E.C.' The term tabloid' medicines in compressed and measured doses was invented by Sir Henry Wellcome as early as 1884.

Measurements:
overall: 70 mm x 20 mm x 25 mm, 38g
Materials:
tin , opium and glass
Object Number:
A651296 Pt4
type:
medicine chest and opium
Small glass bottle of compressed Dover's powder tablets

Small glass bottle of compressed Dover's powder tablets

Small glass bottle of compressed Dover's powder tablets with tin screw top from a small steel medicine chest. 70 mm x 20 mm x 25 mm, 30g. Labels on the chest reveal it was created for travellers to tropic areas. White paper label with black type face reads, ' Burroughs, Wellcome & Co/ 'Tabloids'/ of compressed/Dover Powder/5 gr./ Pulv. Ipecac. Co.)/ Directions.- 1 to 3 'tabloids'/ may be taken with a little water on/ retiring, to break up a cold, or an as-/astringent and anodyne in dysentery/ persistant diarrhoea or cholera, and/ for the relief of pain./ Snowhill Buildings, London, E.C.' The word 'poison' is stamped over the label in red. The term tabloid' medicines in compressed and measured doses was invented by Sir Henry Wellcome as early as 1884. Dover powder's key ingredient opium led it to be used as a cure for cholera, diarrheoa and the common cold. The mixture is usually comprised of opium, ipecac. and potassium sulphate. It was commonly used through the 1960s.

Measurements:
overall: 70 mm x 20 mm x 25 mm, 30g
Materials:
tin , opium , glass and half-full
Object Number:
A651296 Pt9
type:
medicine chest and opium
Small bottle of compressed lead and opium tablets

Small bottle of compressed lead and opium tablets

Small glass bottle of compressed lead and opium tablets with tin screw top from a small steel medicine chest. 70 mm x 20 mm x 25 mm, 28g. Labels on the chest reveal it was created for travellers to tropic areas. White paper label with black type face reads, ' Burroughs, Wellcome & Co/ 'Tabloids'/ LEAD AND OPIUM./ Anodyne and astringent./ In obstinante diarrhoea or dysen-/tary , one every six hours./ Snowhill Buildings, London, E.C.' The word 'poison' is stamped over the label in red. The term tabloid' medicines in compressed and measured doses was invented by Sir Henry Wellcome as early as 1884.

Measurements:
overall: 70 mm x 20 mm x 25 mm, 28g
Materials:
half-full , glass , tin and opium
Object Number:
A651296 Pt10
type:
medicine chest and opium