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Metadata

Object Name

Medicine Chest

Object ID

2004.127.01.01

Date

c. 1830

Description

2004.127.01.01: Wood chest with 2 drawers. Ivory drawer knobs. Front opens into additional compartments. metal handle and two keys on top. Velvet padding behind medicine bottles. 2004.127.01.02: Bottle are both square and rectangular with glass stopper. Rounded shoulders. 2004.127.01.03: square glass bottle with rounded shoulders and glass stopper. 2004.127.01.04-10: Rectangular bottle with rounded shoulders and glass stopper. 2004.127.01.13-19: square glass bottle with rounded shoulders and a glass stopper. 2004.127.01.20: bottom drawer of chest with two compartments. two ivory knobs on front. 2004.127.01.21: First drawer with two compartments and two ivory knobs at front.
2004.127.01.23: Glass bottle with cork stopper and brown powder inside. 2004.127.01.24- 25:glass bottle covered with leather and tied with string, White crystals inside.2004.127.01.26: glass bottle with cork stopper and brown powder inside. 2004.127.01.27: glass bottle with cork stopper and white powder inside. 2004.127.01.28-29: glass bottle with cork stopper covered with leather. white powder inside. 2004.127.01.30 glass bottle and cork stopper covered with leather. brown powder inside. 2004.127.01.31: stiff paper folded to form troughs to hold vials. 2004.127.01.32: yellow paper label. adhesive plaster

Said to have a secret compartment which housed more powerful medicines.

2004.127.01.02 Elixir Paregoric Bottle; 2004.127.01.03 Spirits Hartshorn Bottle; 2004.127.01.04 Laudanum Bottle; 2004.127.01.05 Syrup of Squills Bottle; 2004.127.01.06 Soap Liniment Bottle; 2004.127.01.07 Medicine Bottle; 2004.127.01.08 Sugar Lead Bottle; 2004.127.01.09 White Vitriol Bottle; 2004.127.01.10 Spirits Camphor Bottle; 2004.127.01.11 Key; 2004.127.01.12 Key; 2004.127.01.13 Sweet Spirits of Nitre Bottle; 2004.127.01.14 Sulphate Quinine Bottle; 2004.127.01.15 Spirits Lavender Bottle; 2004.127.01.16 Solution of Sulphate Morphine; 2004.127.01.17 Fine Gentian Camp [?] Bottle; 2004.127.01.18 Ipecacuanha Syrup Bottle; 2004.127.01.19 Antimonial Wine Bottle; 2004.127.01.20 Medicine Chest Drawer; 2004.127.01.21 Medicine Chest Drawer;2004.127.01.22 Key; 2004.127.01.23 Ipecacuanha Powder Bottle; 2004.127.01.24 Coros Sublimate Bottle; 2004.127.01.25 Antimonial Powder Bottle; 2004.127.01.26 Opium Bottle; 2004.127.01.27 Calomel Bottle; 2004.127.01.28 Tartar Emetic Bottle; 2004.127.01.29 Jalap Powder Bottle; 2004.127.01.30 Dover's Powder Bottle; 2004.127.01.31 Medicine Chest Divider; 2004.127.01.32 Adhesive Plaster Label.

Dimension Details

2004.127.01.01: closed 27x24x17, 2004.127.01.02: 11.5x4.5x4.5, 2004.127.01.03: 11.5x4.5x4.5, 2004.127.01.04-09: 11x3x3.5, 2004.127.01.10: 11.5x4.5x4.5, 2004.127.01.11: 0.5x5x1.5, 2004.127.01.12: 0.5x4x1.5, 2004.127.01.13: 11x3x3.5, 2004.127.01.14- 19: 11x3x3.5, 2004.127.01.20: 7x21x10.5, 2004.127.01.21: 4.5x21x10.5, 2004.127.01.22: 0.5x5x2, 2004.127.01.23-30: 6.5x1.5x1.5, 2004.127.01.32: 0.1x6x0.5

Materials

Wood; Brass; Velvet; Ivory; Fabric; Glass; Paper; Ink; Metal; String; Cork;

Inscription Type

Other Markings

Inscription Text

2004.127.01.20: label "adhesive plaster" inside left compartment.

MeSH Search Terms

Therapeutics
Drug Therapy
Investigative Techniques
Technology, Pharmaceutical
Drug Packaging
Pharmaceutical Preparations
Materia Medica
Homeopathy

Related Publications

P2004-127a; P2004-127b

Research Notes

This chest was a ship captain's chest, and based on the style of its construction and contents of the chemical bottles enclosed, it is our best estimate that it originates from the mid 19th century. Chests of this size and nature were also quite common for doctors who often traveled great distances to visit patients. They could be purchased and outfitted by a local apothecary and customized to fit the physician's practice. Of interest are the contents of this chest; some of the labelled bottles include: Spirit of Hartshorn, which is the name given to the compound ammonium carbonate when it is mixed with water, better known as smelling salts; laudanum, the bitter tasting combination of alcohol and powdered opium, often prescribed as a cough suppressant;sugar lead, now called lead(II) acetate, which is a toxic chemical compound. Some doctors combined sugar lead with lead oxide and used it as an astringent, a topical relief for swelling.