`Tabloid' metal medicine chest in metal case, by Burroughs Wellcome and Co, one of two used by the 1933 Land Expedition to Mount Everest

This medicine chest was used in the 1933 attempt to climb Mount Everest. This was the fourth British assault on the mountain and it ultimately failed some 300 metres short of the peak.

The word ‘tabloid’ was coined by Henry Wellcome and registered as a trademark in 1884. Tabloid medicine chests were made by Burroughs Wellcome & Co. Packed with the company’s products, it was one of a series that were presented to high profile expeditions – and individuals including King Edward VII and President Theodore Roosevelt – in a shrewd attempt to advertise the product.