Improvements in Boxes or Packages for Medicinal Preparations.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept.. 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct. 1898
CUMI LETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes or Packages for Medicinal Preparations.
I, HENRY THEODORE MASON, of 515, Arch Street, in the City of Philadelphia,
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Drug Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention has for its object to provide a box or package for dispensing
different kinds of medicinal preparations such as pills, or tablets, in such manner
that the character and properties of each of the different kinds of the said pills, or
tablets, will be clearly indicated to the purchaser.
This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to
the accompanying drawing, which represents in perspective a box, or package, for
medicinal preparations in accordance with my invention.
The box comprises a slide or drawer 1 and the enclosing casing 2 both of
rectangular form, the casing being usually open at both ends so that the slide, or
drawer can be pushed into, or out of, the same at either end.
The drawer is, in the example illustrated divided by partitions 3-3 into four
compartments, and in each of these compartments is contained a number of medicinal
pills, or tablets, having special properties for instance those in one compartment
may constitute a remedy for dyspepsia, those in another compartment a remedy for
coughs and colds, those in the third compartment a remedy for constipation and
those in the remaining compartment a remedy for diseases of the throat and
bronchial tubes.
The pills or tablets in each compartment are distinguished from those in each of
the other compartments by a peculiarity of colour, thus, the dyspepsia tablets may
be yellow, the cough tablets, red, or pink, the constipation tablets, brown, and the
throat tablets white.
One side of the casing 2 is divided into a number of spaces corresponding with
the number of compartments in the slide, or drawer 1 and each coloured to accord
with the colour of the pills or tablets contained in its respective compartment each
of these coloured spaces containing information as to the character, qualities,
method of use, etc., of the pills, or tablets, to which it relates, and with which, by
reason of its colour, it is identified.
The ends of the slide, or drawer, 1, are also, by preference, coloured to accord
with the colour of the pills, or tablets contained in the adjoining compartment of
said slide, or drawer, and these coloured spaces, on the ends of the drawer, or slide,
likewise contain information concerning the pills, or tablets, with which they are
identified.
A package of the character specified enables a number of different medicinal
preparations to be dispensed at one time the said preparations being so clearly dis-
tinguished from each other, and yet so closely identified with the description, or
instructions, relating to each, that even persons of very limited intelligence are
not likely to make any mistake in the use of the pills or tablets.
While the use of a compartment slide, or drawer, is always to be preferred, it is
not absolutely necessary to my invention, provided the pills, or tablets, be distin-
guished from each other by variation in colour, and be identified, by spaces of cor-

page_text: responding colour on the outside of the package, and the invention may, it will be
evident, be applied to boxes having moveable lids, as well as to boxes consisting of
a slide, or drawer, and an outer casing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is :-
1. The combination of a box containing medicinal pills, or tablets, of different
colours, with a cover, or casing, containing spaces coloured to correspond with the
pills, or tablets, each coloured space containing information concerning its respective
pills, or tablets, substantially as specified.
2. The combination of a compartment box, each compartment containing
medicinal pills, or tablets, of a colour distinguishing them from those in each of the
other compartments, with a cover, or casing, having spaces coloured to correspond
with the different colours of the pills, or tablets, each coloured space corresponding
as to position, with the compartment containing the correspondingly coloured pills,
or tables, and having information concerning the latter, substantially as specified.
3. The combination of a compartment box, having, in each compartment,
medicinal pills, or tablets, of a colour distinguishing them from those in each of the
other compartments, the said box being combined with a cover, or casing, and
having a wall, or walls, of each compartment coloured to correspond with the colour
of the pills, or tablets, contained in the said compartment, substantially as speci-
fied.
4. The combination of a compartment box having, in each compartment,
medicinal pills, or tablets, of a colour distinguishing them from those in each of
the other compartments, the said box being combined with a cover, or casing, and
having a wall, or walls, of each compartment coloured to correspond with the colour
of the pills, or tablets, contained in said compartment, and containing information
relative to the said pills, or tablets, substantially as specified.
5. The combination of a compartment box, having, in each compartment
medicinal pills, or tablets, of a colour distinguishing them from these in each of the
other compartments, the said box having a wall or walls, of each compartment
coloured to correspond with the colour of the pills, or tablets, contained therein,
and being combined with a case, or cover, having spaces corresponding as to colour
and position with the coloured portions of the box, substantially as specified.
Dated this 26th day of September 1898.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.