shape favors the manufacturing process and a small package size the square tablet 1 just like the previously described swab 1 is stacked one on top of another in the direction of the center axis m in a holder 50 not shown the mode of operation of the dispensing device 5 likewise corresponds to that described above furthermore the tablet 1 of fig4 has no barrier layer 2 here the holding area 4 is not isolated from the absorption area 3 it has been investigated that the swab 1 does not necessarily need a barrier layer 2 because a tablet 1 with a practical size corresponding approximately to 4 to 6 times the volume of an ordinary sugar cube can take up enormous quantities of liquid in its middle and thus in the absorption area 3 before the liquid makes it into the holding area 4 at the margin the tablet 1 shown in fig5 is likewise rotationally symmetrical to the center axis m but the top side 11 and the bottom side 12 are flat in shape here as well thanks to the minimum size for a practical handling and the corresponding volume one can do without a separate protection layer 3 between the.