An early 19th century wooden European apothecary jar containing a glass bottle with gold powder which would have been used to coat pills. The wooden container made from cedar has a domed lid and handle.

The glass bottle is a later addition with a cork stopped which is worn. The tablets would be made from a mixture of their active ingredient cemented with guar gum or similar adhesive excipient. The mixture would be divided into regular sizes (using a pill roller) and then rolled into a sphere. The unadorned pills would them be coloured, often using gold or silver powder with a pill “silverer”.

• From the Phisick collection