Kit, Medicine

Object Name:

Kit, Medicine

Object ID:

1966.554.02

Creator:

Nichols, W.

Place of Origin:

New York, NY

Date:

circa 1860

Description:

Civil War medicine kit in leather carrying case. Kit is wood box with hinged lid and pull-out drawer. Dark brown birch box, lined with brown velvet, with brass hardware (corners, hinges, handles, and latches). Pull-out drawer has rod locking device. Box (and lid) has built-in dividers for medicines, a pull-out drawer for instruments, and a pull-out leather travel pouch for medicines. Box contains glass vials, mostly corked and with contents: 15 @ 5" high in lid; 8 @ 4" x 1" diam. along back of box (space for 10, 2 spaces stuffed with cotton); 11 @ 2.75" x 0.5" diam. on sides of box; 21 @ 1.25" x 0.25" diam. along front (space for 26). Names on corks include: "Alum", "Senegn", "Bora", "Dover Powder", "Pec", "S", "Zinc", "Lead", "Carple Acid". Box also contains: 2 large glass bottles with lead seals; 1 small cardboard box with foil wrapped cube; 8 unmarked glass bottles; 1 marked glass bottle, paper label reads "SAMPLE / OF / CARTER'S / CRIMSON / INK". Leather travel pouch contains 20 small glass vials @ 2.25" x 0.25" diam. Pull-out drawer contains 15 medical instruments. Bottom of drawer stamped "W. NICHOLS / 32D DIST. N.Y."

Material:

Wood
Metal
Glass
Brass
Leather

Dimensions:

H-6.75 W-16.5 D-6 inches

Provenance:

Used by George Beebe (1828-1877), acting assistant surgeon during Civil War. Born in England, died in Bethlehem, NH. Graduated NYU Medical School, 1864. Legislator from Gosport, NH, 1866-69.

Credit Line:

Gift of Howard Beebe Ross

People:

Beebe, George (1828-1877), Ross, Howard B. (1885-1951)

Subjects:

Medicine, Medical equipment and supplies, Doctors, Physicians, Civil War