204  Cachets  de  Pain. 
readers  of  the  "  Journal,"  although  it  has  been  so  lately  and  so  well 
treated  of  by  others. 
About  the  only  possible  objections  to  their  universal  introduction 
and  use  are  those  put  forward  by  Mr.  Lechler  in  the  number  for 
March  last  of  this  periodical,  and  as  these  objections  have  been  suc- 
cessfully answered  and  refuted  by  Mr.  Blair  (April  number),  there  is 
no  need  of  further  reference  to  them. 
One  objection  to  the  general  introduction  of  the  use  of  cachets  has 
hitherto  been  the  cost  of  the  press  considered  necessary  for  their  pre- 
paration. I  wish,  therefore,  to  suggest  a  cheap,  "  home-made  "  appa- 
ratus, which,  while  it  may  not  take  the  place  of  the  more  costly  presses 
with  those  who  may  prefer  and  can  afford  them,  will  yet  enable  even 
the  poorest  in  the  ranks  of  our  proverbially  poor  profession  to  possess 
a  press,  at  a  cost  of  only  a  few  cents,  which  will  turn  out  the  cachets 
equal  to  the  best. 
I  have  prepared  a  great  many  cachets  by  the  following- described 
machine: 
A  piece  of  hard  wood,  about  six  or  eight  inches  long  by  four  inches 
wide,  serves  for  the  base  of  the  machine.  In  this  fasten  the  lower 
dies  (the  brass  buttons  for  stair-rods,  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Mclntyre, 
answer  an  admirable  purpose,  and  can  be  had  of  exactly  the  proper 
sizes),  one  for  each  size  of  cachet.  They  should  be  sunk  in  the  wood, 
so  as  to  be  on  a  level  with  the  top.  Similar  dies  are  to  be  screwed  to 
wooden  handles,  and  the  machine  is  complete.  These  handles,  neatly 
turned,  can  be  purchased  at  any  hardware  or  house-furnishing  store. 
It  will  be  seen  that  this  machine  differs  from  that  figured  in  the 
"Journal"  for  January  last,  in  having  the  upper  dies  attached  to  han- 
dles separate  from  the  rest  of  the  press.  In  using  it,  all  that  is  neces- 
sary is  to  place  an  empty  wafer  on  the  die,  place  the  medicine  on  it, 
cover  it  with  another  cachet,  properly  moistened,  apply  to  this  the 
upper  die,  and  a  very  slight  pressure  upon  this,  or  a  tap  with  the  handle 
of  a  spatula,  is  sufficient  to  cause  them  to  adhere.  In  this  way  any 
number  of  complete  cachets  may  be  made  in  a  very  expeditious 
manner. 
One  word  in  regard  to  the  proper  moistening  of  the  upper  disk. 
There  is  no  need  of  any  complicated  "wetter"  for  this  purpose.  A 
piece  of  flannel  or  muslin,  wet  and  then  wrung  out,  and  folded  two  or 
three  times,  will  be  found  to  answer  every  purpose.  Several  of  the 
disks  may  be  laid  upon  this  damp  surface,  to  be  taken  up  one  by  one 
