Cabinet, Medicine

One "Materia Medica" chest. The chest is made of oak wood that has been finished with a light brown stain and a clear lacquer or varnish. It has a hinged top with a routered edge, decorative moldings on the base, handles on the ends, three drawers with knob pulls in front, and a lock for the top. The handles and knobs are made of steel that has been painted black. A brass tab, located under the hinged top at the right front corner of the chest, lifts up approximately 1/2 inch and unlocks the drawers. The drawers contain 288 small metal sample boxes of medicinal plant/herb specimens. A printed cardboard insert on the underside of the hinged top provides a numerical index to the various specimens. A small oval-shaped metal plate on the front of the chest shows "Materia Medica Collection, Parke Davis and Co., Detroit & New York, U.S.A."