Everyday medical treatments

What did machines do in the medical industry in the 19th century?

They could produce tablets, sugar coated pills and gelatin capsules which allowed accurate doses to be taken, helping in the process of the mass production of drugs

What did self-help medical books suggest?

That every home have laudanum to calm children and send them to sleep - this was made of 90% alcohol and 10% opium with some flavourings

What was aspirin?

Developed in Germany in the 1890s as an everyday painkiller - first sold in the UK in 1899

What were problems with mass production?

There were no measures in place to control mass production of medicine, which meant that companies could include anything they wanted. Many medicines contained mercury and arsenic (which are both poisonous in large quantities), and cocaine and opium were also addictive