Part 7

Equipment shortages included surgical instruments and mortar and pestles for pulverizing the crude drugs. Glass vials for holding compounded medicines were also a supply problem, especially after essential drugs were again available.

Some of the shortages were eased, if not solved, by local manufacture. Lint was produced in large quantities in the Colonies, and glass vials were manufactured in numerous glasshouses. Even local manufacture of the purging salts and nitre aided in eliminating shortages of these essential items, and at the same time initiated the first large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing in America.

Numerous botanicals indigenous to the Colonies were widely employed in medicine of the period, and certain ones such as snakeroot (seneka), which was widely found growing in Virginia, would have been very scarce had not an adequate supply been immediately at hand. However, attempts to substitute other indigenous plants for scarce drugs like Peruvian bark were largely unsuccessful. There is no indication that hysop, wormwood, and mallows called for during the New York crisis were ever found to be suitable replacements for any of the capital articles. Wine apparently was more useful as a substitute for bark than the bark of butternut recommended by the Lititz Pharmacopoeia. Peruvian bark, jalap, ipecac, camphor, opium, cantharides--these are the drugs which the American army physicians wanted, and these constituted the most serious shortage problems.

The medical supply problem was placed on relatively firm ground by the summer of 1778, having been established on the principles proven in the Northern Department under the guidance of Drs. Potts and Craigie. Furthermore, the turning point in the war had been reached. Even before Washington's forces went into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Burgoyne had surrendered at Saratoga, on October 17, 1777; and, before the cold bleak winter at Valley Forge was over, the treaty of French alliance was signed on February 6, 1778. The torments at Valley Forge proved to be the birth of a new Continental Army.

The War was still a long way from being over, and a variety of problems were yet to face the Continental Army. Inflation was yet to deal its hardest blow to the supply problem, but not even this could produce the chaos of 1776. The worst of the drug supply problem was over.

Contents of Army Medicine Chests

The following listing is an example of the contents of medicine chests ordered by the Continental Congress. The chest for the Pennsylvania 4th Battalion was filled for "Samuel Kennedy Surgeon" by the pharmacy of Christopher Jr. and Charles Marshall of Philadelphia in May 1776. The medicines are listed on an invoice in the Marshalls' waste book in the possession of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The contents of the Northern Department chest, compiled in the Northern Department's "Medicinal Store" for "Thos. Tillotson Esq. Surgeon & Physician General to the Army," probably was filled by Andrew Craigie at Fort George in 1778. (Italics denote capital article; asterisk indicates that the drug is mentioned in Lititz Pharmacopoeia. Contemporary English names are in parentheses following the Latin listings.)

Pennsylvania Northern 4th Battalion Department Chest Chest BOTANICALS

*Cort Peruv[ianum] (Peruvian bark; Jesuits' bark; or bark) 4 lb. *Pulv Cort Peruv (Powdered Peruvian bark) 2 lb. Opt.; 6 lb. 2 lb. 2nd *Pulvis Rad Jalapii (Powdered jalap) 2 lb. 2 lb. *Pulv Rad Ipecacuan (Powdered ipecac) 8 oz. 12 oz. *Pulv Rad Rhaei (Powdered rhubarb) 1 lb. 4 oz. 4 lb. Rad Rhaei (Rhubarb root) 2 lb. *Fol Sennae (Sennae or sena) 2 lb. *Rad Gentian (Gentian root) 1 lb. 2-1/2 lb. *Rad Seneka (Senega; rattlesnake root; or snake root) 1 lb. *Rad Scillae Sict. (Squill; or sea-onion) 6 oz. Cinnamomi (Cinnamon) 1 lb. Cort Aurant[orium] (Orange peel) 3 lb. Fl Chamom (Camomile flower) 2 oz. Mellisa[e Folia] (Balm) 1/2 lb. *Gum Camphor (Camphor; or camphire) 10 oz. 2-1/2 lb. *Gum Opium Opii (Opium) 8 oz. 1 lb. *Gum Arabic (Gum Arabic) 2 lb. Opt. 2 lb. *Gum Aloe Socotr (Aloe; or aloes) 8 oz. 1 lb. Gum Aloe Hepat (Aloe; or aloes) 1 lb. *Gum Ammon[iacum] (Gum ammoniac) 12 oz. *Gum Guaiac (Gum guaiac) 8 oz. 3/4 lb. *Gum Myrrh (Myrrh) 4 oz. 2 oz. *Bals Capivi (Balsam of copaiba) 1 lb. 4 oz. 2 lb. *Bals Peruvian (Balsam of Peru) 3 oz. Bals Tolu[tanum] (Balsam of tolu) 8 oz. *Ol Olivar (Olive oil) 2-1/2 lb. *Ol Ricini (Castor oil) 1 lb. 4 oz. 2 lb.

DRUGS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN

*Cantharides (Spanish flies; or flies) 4 oz. 3/4 lb. *Cera Flav (Yellow beeswax) 1 lb. 4 lb. *Mel Com[munis] (Honey) 3 lb. Pul Oc Canc (Powdered crabs' eyes) 1 lb. *Sperm Ceti (Spermaceti) 3 lb.

CHEMICALS

*Alum Com[munis] or Credem (Alum or rock alum) 1 lb. *Creta ppt [precipitated or praeparata] (Chalk) 6 lb. *Pulv Crem Tartar (Cream of tartar) 4 lb. 2 lb. *Tart Emetic (Tartar emetic) 6 oz. 1/2 lb. *Sal Nitri Nitrum (Nitre or saltpetre) 4 lb. 4 lb. Sal Absinthii (Salt of wormwood) 8 oz. *Sal Cath[articus] Amar (Epsom salts; bitter purging salts; or bitter cathartic salts) 10 lb. *Sal Cath[articus] Glauber Sal Mirabile Glauberi (Glauber's salts; Glauber's purging salts; or Glauber's wonderful salts). 10 lb. *Sal Tartar[isatus] (Salt of tartar) 2 lb. *Sal Amm[oniacum] (Sal ammoniac) 1/2 lb. Cd. *Merc[urius] Corros Sublim (Corrosive sublimate of mercury) 2 oz. 2 oz. *Merc[urius] Praecip[itatus] Rub (Red precipitate of mercury) 4 oz. 2 oz. *Merc[urius] Dulc Ppt. (Calomel) 8 oz. Flor Sulphur (Flowers of sulphur) 4 lb. 2 lb. *Ol Vitriol (Oil of vitriol) 6 oz. Ol Tereb[inthinae] (Oil of turpentine) 1-1/2 lb. Tereb[inthina] Venet (Turpentine) 1 lb. 4 oz. *Vitriol Alb (White vitriol) 4 oz. 2 oz. *Elix Vitriol (Elixir of vitriol) 3 lb. 2 lb. Vitriol Rom (Roman vitriol) 4 oz. Sacch Saturni (Sugar of lead) 4 oz. Vitr Antomon Cerat (Cerated glass of antimony) 3 oz. *Extr[actum] Saturni Acetum Lithargyrites (Litharge of lead; litharge vinegar; or extract of Saturn). 11 oz.

TINCTURES

*Tinc Thebaic Tinctura Opii Laudani Liquidi (Tincture 12 oz. 2 lb. of opium; thebaic tincture; liquid laudanum; and Sydenham's laudanam). *Tinct Myrrh & Aloes (Tincture of myrrh and aloes). 1 lb. 12 oz. Tinct Cinnam (Tincture of cinnamon) 2 lb.

SPIRITS

Sp[iritus] Sal Ammon (Spirit of sal ammoniac) 1 lb. 5 oz. Sp[iritus] Nitri Dulc Sal Vol[atilis] (Sweet spirit of nitre) 2-1/2 lb. 1 lb. 12 oz. Sp[iritus] Lavend Co[mpositus] (Compound spirit of lavender) 1 lb. 4 oz. 1-1/2 lb. Sp[iritus] Vini Rect[ificatus] (Rectified spirit of wine) 1 lb. 4 oz.

MISCELLANEOUS PREPARATIONS

*Cons Rosar Rub[rarum] (Conserves of red roses) 1 lb. Conf[ectio] Cardiac (Cordial confection) 1 lb. Elect[uarium] Asthmatic (Asthmatic electuary) 1 lb. 1 oz. *Elix Paregor (Paregoric elixir) 2 lb. Pill Purgant (Purgative pills) 8 oz. Pulv e Bol[o Compositus] (Compound powder of bole with opium) 2 lb. Linim[entum] Sapo[naceum] (Soap liniment) 3-1/2 lb. Sapo Venet (Venetian soap) 2 lb. 6 lb.

OINTMENTS

*Ung[euntum] Lap Calamin (Ointment from calamine stone) 10 lb. 4 lb. *Ung[uentum] Basilic Flav (Yellow basilicon ointment) 10 lb. *Ung[uentum] Merc[urale] Fort (Strong mercurial ointment) 6 lb. Ung[uentum] e Gum Elemi (Ointment of gum elemi) 3 lb. Ung[uentum] Alb Camp[horatum] (Camphorated white ointment) 3 lb.

PLASTERS

*Emp[lastrum] Adhesiv (Adhesive plaster) 6 lb. Emp[lastrum] Diach (Simple diachylon plaster) 6 lb. 2 lb. Emp[lastrum] Diach c G (Diachylon plaster with gum) 1 lb. *Emp[lastrum] Epispast Epithema Vesicatorium (Blistering plaster; vesicatory plaster). 1 lb. Emp[lastrum] Stomach Majest. (Stomach plaster) 1 lb.

SURGICAL DRESSINGS, ETC.

*Linteum Praeparatum (Lint) 1 lb. fine Tow 12 lb. fine Sponge 4 oz. fine Twine 1 lb. fine 1/2 lb. Tape 1 piece 2 pieces Fracture pillows 2 Splints 2 p. Sharps 34 doz. Thread 4 oz. Needles 7 common Pins 1/2 thousand Compresses 6 doz. Bandages 700 Flannel 6 yds. Shears 2 pr. Rags 1 bundle

SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS

Director 1 1 steel Probe, silver 1 1 Forceps 1 Catheters 1 silver Amputating instruments 1 set Trepanning instruments 1 Trepan 1 set Lancets 2 best crown, 4 common Tourniquets 1 Brass 8 common with ligatures Syringe, pewter 4 2 Syringe, ivory 2 Glyster pipe arm'd 6 Tooth-drawing instrument 1 Crow Bill

PHARMACEUTICAL EQUIPMENT