This is how pills were made in the 18th century

#AbsoluteHistory

[manofflorida]

“These silver coated pills have gone bad”

“Those are musket balls”

[Khalrua]

I’m a pharmacist. As part of a demonstration for younger students, we got to use the pill roller to make some legit old fashioned willow bark aspirin. So dope. I love what I do

[Fridelain]

The gold and silver coating would keep them from spoiling or being contaminated. Silver is bactericidal, which helps too.

[reaganmabry]

I met this super rich Italian guy in Paris who would make these out of hashish and opium and use them for sleeping pills. Wild times man

[hyfy-trjy]

I would wager the pill silver wasn't about being "extra" but actually would help prevent the pills from potentially spoiling as bacteria cannot grow on silver

[HarenunHoppus]

Apothecary sounds more badass than pharmacist

[dabigsqueezy]

It's amazing that anyone survived an illness back then.

[embertheunusual]

There's something about extremely specific tools whose purpose has since been rendered obsolete that I love

[jeffr]

Imagine making enemies and they replace your pills with silver coated rabbit turds.

[theruined]

Imagine having cold and eating silver pills in public

[kaylaa]

“If you were super rich you got your pills silvered”
Ah yes, to treat lycanthropy which was a constant concern for many a medieval peasant

[phonkey]

New gift idea: "Pill silverer"

Merry Christmas, mom!

[matt]

You can also make some tiny gnocchi while you are at it.

[DjSapsan]

Putting medicine in the plutonium core is the next level move

[caracaes]

To this day in Brazil there's a saying "to gild the pill", meaning trying to make bad news look good.

[Lazrbeams]

18th century golden perk prolly goes crazy

[AsbestosMuffins]

"if you were super rich you got your pills silvered."

Great now make it a suppository!

[nicholashelms]

My grandma was a volunteer in the history museum near me and worked in the old pharmacy exhibit and got to demonstrate all of this. She got very good at it and made it look extremely authentic.

[froggers]

“Alright doc, I’ve finished off the pills.”
“Well, what brings you in then?”
“…Silver Poisoning.”
“Argyria? Weird.”

[logancook]

I love learning random stuff like this. We need more videos like this.