I hope this is the right place for this! Though if I should head to askscience, let me know.

I know that the eye dropper was invented by Louis Pasteur, and that he was born in 1822, but surely there would be a need before that to add “a drop” of something to something else? I thought, aha, syringe! But that was invented in 1853.

This is for a very minor detail in a story that takes place in the Elizabethan Era, but I cannot seem to let it go. So curious!

Thanks in advance for your answers!