Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Who invented the first pill and when was it invented?

It is difficult to find information about this on the web, because when you search for "pill" you usually get history and information on a particular kind of pill for birth control.

Perhaps you can look in the encyclopedia in the library, or ask your librarian if there are medical books which may have a brief history of the pill!

Good luck
Laura

Try looking up "Pharmaceutical Industry - Tablets" in Britanica or another encyclopedia.

The means of mass producing Gelatin capsules was invented by Eli Lilly shortly after 1876. Prior to that time, medicines were mainly delivered in powdered or liquid form. Generic capsules was Eli Lilly & Company's first major product and was sold to pharmacists and other drug companies to be filled with powdered medicines to prevent the bitter taste.

Tablet making machines came later. Unfortunately the expired patent records aren't online.

Pharmacists compounded early tablets by hand using "moist cookie dough" like "pilling" processes prior to 1876. The capsules made the hand compounding process simpler.

In google, I searched "who invented the first medicinal pill"
one of the best results was http://articles.latimes.com/2002/mar/25 ... -booster25

If you type that into google, you'll come up with some good results