Author: Timsta
Monday, 26 August 2002 - 08:38 pm |        |
Victorian breath mints, right?
Any idea what these would have cost? Might these not have been an inordinate luxury for someone scrabbling for fourpence doss money, or for a pennorth of stale bread?
Regards
Timsta |
Author: David Radka
Monday, 26 August 2002 - 10:54 pm | |
Cachous were small, thinly-cut slices of meat strongly marinated or cured with a high-sugar recipe. They had a combination sweet and hearty taste. The user would place one in a corner of the mouth and wait for the flavor to stimulate the salivary glands. Thus would be created an interesting broth, providing an energy boost and freshened breath. Sir Edmund Hillary carried a tin with him on his climbs. Whenever faced with a particularly daunting obstacle, he would pop one into his mouth for physical and psychological stimulation.
Cachous were easily made, and likely were available cheaply enough for even a relatively poor person to afford. The problem with the cachous in Stride's hand is not so much the expense, but the provenance. How could she wind up holding that packet of cachous after all she'd been through?
David |
Author: Divia deBrevier
Monday, 26 August 2002 - 11:21 pm | |
Dear Timsta:
A brief search on the web shows modern day cachous selling for £1.49 each box or £4.75 for a set of three.
I doubt that these are the same as the original cachous from 1888 (pieces of *meat*?!? UGH), but when you calculate inflation, etc. they seem to be pretty cheap. Or maybe her killer gave them to her...?
Haven't we had a discussion regarding the cachous in Stride's hand before? The only thing I can think of is that it must have been over so quickly that she didn't have time to react. Otherwise, I would think that she would have dropped them in favor of reaching up to her throat.
Warm regards,
Divia |
Author: Diana
Tuesday, 27 August 2002 - 12:10 am | |
| If one tenses up might it not be possible to clutch whatever was in the hand even tighter just as a reflex? |
Author: Timsta
Tuesday, 27 August 2002 - 01:21 am | |
Diana:
There's a well-known medical phenomenon whereby asphyxiation causes the hands (and presumably other muscle groups) to tense. It's really late and I can't remember the precise term, but I'm sure someone will help out.
Divia:
Yeah, I was wondering if they were a present from the killer. Still can't see Long Liz spending money on something like that; her prized possession was *a piece of velvet*, fer god's sake. (Would have quoted her entire list of possessions but too tired to look up the reference.)
Regards
Timsta |
Author: Christopher T George
Tuesday, 27 August 2002 - 09:50 am | |
Hi, all--
"The cachous . . . were tiny, intensely powerful pills containing the aromatic spice cardamom. Chewed or slowly dissolved in the mouth, cachous helped relieve the all-too-evident olfactory aftereffects of tobacco and strong drink in those Victorian social situations where 'correct' everything, including breath, was expected."
From SAVE YOUR BREATH, an answer on antiques question and answer site which makes the point that cachous often came in brass boxes. I have also seen examples in decorated tins, still offered today in reproduction boxes as Victorian Cachous.
As we know, Liz Stride's cachous were wrapped in unmarked paper.
A link to Montague John Druitt, cricketer??? Look at Early Rowntree’s Cachous Cricket Bat Sweet Tin c/w removable lid cap to handle! It appears though from another site that such sweet tins date from the 1920's or 1930's. Darn, just when I thought I had him! 
All the best
Chris |
Author: Christopher T George
Tuesday, 27 August 2002 - 02:09 pm | |
Click on the boxes on the first link I gave and you get a rather astounding view of a brass cachou box valued at $800 plus with the head of Abraham Lincoln embossed on it. Obviously the description used in the write-up, that such cachous were used "in those Victorian social situations where 'correct' everything, including breath, was expected" does not quite apply, given the degraded lifestyle of these women. However, nevetheless it is interesting to note that even in degraded circumstances a person can aspire to some social niceties.
All the best
Chris George |
Author: David O'Flaherty
Tuesday, 27 August 2002 - 02:25 pm | |
And sweeter breath could only have been good for business--I bet Liz Stride's mouth stank like an open sewer.
Thanks for the links, Chris
Cheers,
Dave |
Author: Walter Timothy Mosley
Tuesday, 27 August 2002 - 06:26 pm | |
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Author: Timsta
Tuesday, 27 August 2002 - 06:30 pm | |
Tim:
Got a date for that ad? And any idea what 7c was in good ole' quid at the time?
Regards
The Other Tim |
Author: Walter Timothy Mosley
Tuesday, 27 August 2002 - 08:22 pm | |
Hello, Timsta:
Boy, is Alegria gonna be mad when she sees that I've skewed the board. In my defense, the official instructions for posting images seem to have vanished amidst the reorganization.
This ad is from the 1902 Sears and Roebuck Catalog. As of early 2002, 1888 British money should be multiplied by x68 to get its approximate value in today's funds. Dunno how different 1902 was from 1888 in that regard, however, but I would guess that it was pretty close.
IMHO, even a street woman could have had access to cachous if she wanted; surely there were some even cheaper than from Sears. Liz had some in paper instead of a relatively expensive glass bottle, so I would guess that they could have then been bought piecemeal, like penny candy.
Come to the chat tonight for more details.
WTM |
Author: Divia deBrevier
Wednesday, 28 August 2002 - 01:07 am | |
Dear Tim:
Why don't you edit your post, delete the pic, then repost the pic in the picture file?
My job is done here, I must move along now....
Warm regards,
Divia
PS: I agree; I don't think that it was something that Liz would have had on her person unless someone gave them to her. But what do I know? That's just an opinion. |
