Civil War era medicine bottles.
The bottles, carried in a physician's grippe or field hospital pharmacy are real. Except for the whisky, all the other medicines are fake. All are edible and are labeled with period style labels. Quinine salts and pills were used to treat fevers. Unbeknownst to the Doctors, many fevers were caused by Malaria. The malaria parasite responds to quinine, thus controlling many fevers of the day. Morphine powder could be measured into syrups or placed in alcohol to create a morphine elixir to treat pain. Calomel is a medication that was historically used to treat various medical conditions. It is a white, crystalline powder that is chemically known as mercurous chloride (Hg2Cl2). Calomel was widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries as a treatment for: Syphilis, Yellow fever, Constipation, Diarrhea, and Liver disease. Calomel works by releasing mercury ions into the body, which can have a purgative (laxative) effect and stimulate the immune system.
Calomel is a toxic substance that can cause serious health problems, including: kidney damage, liver damage, mercury poisoning, and death. During the Civil War, the most prominent lead salt used was lead(II) acetate, commonly known as "sugar of lead," for medicinal purposes. Civil War surgeons used lead(II) acetate, or sugar of lead, both internally and externally, despite its toxic effects. Its applications included:
Astringent: Applied externally to constrict body tissues and reduce bleeding.
Sedative: Administered internally to calm a patient.
Dysentery treatment: Combined with other compounds like opium to treat bowel disorders. This treatment often worsened the effects of dehydration caused by dysentery and was highly toxic. Diarrhea (from all causes), its treatment and its dehydration effects probably resulted in more soldiers' deaths than battle wounds. A lot has changed since that time...fortunately.
This pharmacy is only a part of my Civil War surgeon's kit. I have period style surgical instruments, an ether mask, stethoscope, ether cans (empty), and bullet probes, to name a few.
Civil War era medicine bottles.
The bottles, carried in a physician's grippe or field hospital pharmacy are real. Except for the whisky, all the other medicines are fake. All are edible and are labeled with period style labels. Quinine salts and pills were used to treat fevers. Unbeknownst to the Doctors, many fevers were caused by Malaria. The malaria parasite responds to quinine, thus controlling many fevers of the day. Morphine powder could be measured into syrups or placed in alcohol to create a morphine elixir to treat pain. Calomel is a medication that was historically used to treat various medical conditions. It is a white, crystalline powder that is chemically known as mercurous chloride (Hg2Cl2). Calomel was widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries as a treatment for: Syphilis, Yellow fever, Constipation, Diarrhea, and Liver disease. Calomel works by releasing mercury ions into the body, which can have a purgative (laxative) effect and stimulate the immune system.
Calomel is a toxic substance that can cause serious health problems, including: kidney damage, liver damage, mercury poisoning, and death. During the Civil War, the most prominent lead salt used was lead(II) acetate, commonly known as "sugar of lead," for medicinal purposes. Civil War surgeons used lead(II) acetate, or sugar of lead, both internally and externally, despite its toxic effects. Its applications included:
Astringent: Applied externally to constrict body tissues and reduce bleeding.
Sedative: Administered internally to calm a patient.
Dysentery treatment: Combined with other compounds like opium to treat bowel disorders. This treatment often worsened the effects of dehydration caused by dysentery and was highly toxic. Diarrhea (from all causes), its treatment and its dehydration effects probably resulted in more soldiers' deaths than battle wounds. A lot has changed since that time...fortunately.
This pharmacy is only a part of my Civil War surgeon's kit. I have period style surgical instruments, an ether mask, stethoscope, ether cans (empty), and bullet probes, to name a few.