Clove Oil

[Micah Trent]

I caught curios about Clove Oil and was reading on a Vermont Soap site, where Clove Oil was used to disinfect medical instruments in the Civil War. I have been looking for a while now and not found what I am looking for. How often was this used? I figured it would be used more for sores and wounds, but I read elsewhere, because of a toxic effect, it was not always good to use.
Any of you all know anymore about this? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[NoahBriggs]

Here is what the Book of 2900 Prescriptions says:

"[Cloves] belong to the more hot and stimulating aromatics. They are used to correct flatulence and excite languid digestion; but chiefly used as an adjunct to bitter tonics or as a corrective to purgatives."

One of the prescriptions does cover its use to treat toothache.

Pages 122-123, in the 1855 version.

I have never heard of cloves used to sterilize instruments during the war. Besides, the instruments can't reproduce anyway, so rendering them "sterile" would not do anything.

[hanktrent]

What Noah said. They're usually mentioned for toothache, and they do have a numbing effect when applied to the mucous membranes.

From the US Dispensatory:

Cloves are among the most stimulant of the aromatics; but, like others of this class, act less upon the system at large than on the part to which they are immediately applied. They are sometimes administered in substance or infusion to relieve nausea and vomiting, correct flatulence, and excite languid digestion; but their chief use is to assist or modify the action of other medicines. They enter into several officinal preparations.

Here's an ad for "Clove Anodyne Toothache Drops."

I have never heard of cloves used to sterilize instruments during the war. Besides, the instruments can't reproduce anyway, so rendering them "sterile" would not do anything.

But I thought George Tiemann had a big instrument-breeding farm in New York during the war.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Micah Trent]

That was my same thought. But when scorlling through the Vermont Soap website www.vermontsoap.com I came across the useage of the Clove Oil during the war, which threw me for a loop. So I spent several hours looking into the use of Clove Oil as a medical instrument cleaner during the war, but got nowhere. I posted hoping it would generate a good dicussion, seeing that it was around and thought it deserved a look into.
I guess my next question would be, was it a common practice to use it, if available to doctors and surgeons, and those who practice the medial side of this hobby, is this something you would want have on you?

[hanktrent]

That was my same thought. But when scorlling through the Vermont Soap website www.vermontsoap.com I came across the useage of the Clove Oil during the war, which threw me for a loop.

What do you mean? That some modern company said it was used during the Civil War to clean instruments? I went to the link, and saw nothing on that page. Is this the page you're talking about? http://www.vermontsoap.com/iskin.shtml

Honestly, if that's the source of the information, and no period source is referenced, I'd just ignore it as something wrong, made-up, or misinterpreted, unless someone starts finding period information about it.

I'm sure you know this: modern commercial websites written by copywriters trying to sell their modern products aren't really the best place for historical research.

I guess my next question would be, was it a common practice to use it, if available to doctors and surgeons, and those who practice the medial side of this hobby, is this something you would want have on you?

What do you mean? To use it as an instrument cleaner, or for toothaches? For an instrument cleaner, obviously no; there's no documentation of it being used for that so far, that I'm aware of.

As Noah and I have been joking about, there was no mindset to sterilize or disinfect instruments at all. For disinfection, chloride of lime was a common chemical, but the emphasis was on disinfecting things that smelled--walls, bedding, floors--not instruments.

Here's a good period example of the mindset, the definition of "disinfection" from a period medical dictionary:

The act of destroying miasmata, with which the air, clothing, &c., may be infected. Various means have been proposed for this purpose. Those most commonly employed, are:--chlorine, sulphurous and muriatic acid gases, vapours of vinegar, nitrous acid; and, what is, perhaps, the most manageable of any, and the most efficacious,--the chloride of lime, or any of the chlorides of the alkalies. It is probably, that a true chemical action occurs between these agents and the miasmata; whence results a compound, which is harmless.

As far as for toothache, yes, I expect the average person would be aware of cloves or oil of cloves, either as a patent medicine or just using cloves themselves. It was mentioned in widespread places, for example here in the period Encyclopedia Americana.

I'm sure Noah has information on whether oil of cloves was included in the military medical supply table. I expect though that it would kinda be like ibuprofin or something similar today. If you have a toothache, you already know to take it at home, so when you get to the dentist, you expect him to do something more permanent to fix the problem like pull the tooth or fill it, even though he may also recommend taking ibuprofin again when you get home after having the work done.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Pete K]

My dear departed Greek immigrant Grandmother hated seeing my Dad "waste" money on dentists when we were kids. She made us bite down on whole cloves to stop tooth aches (it worked for a while, but...). She was a big proponent of herbal cures as part of her European peasant background. Clove oil tases real bad, by the way.

[NoahBriggs]

But I thought George Tiemann had a big instrument-breeding farm in New York during the war.


Oh, yeah. Forgot. the beginnings of industrial factory-farming.

On a serious note - I'd have to check to see if cloves show up on period military medical tables. But my immediate memory says "no."

Power research!!!

[Micah Trent]

Honestly, if that's the source of the information, and no period source is referenced, I'd just ignore it as something wrong, made-up, or misinterpreted, unless someone starts finding period information about it.
...To use it as an instrument cleaner, or for toothaches? For an instrument cleaner, obviously no; there's no documentation of it being used for that so far, that I'm aware of.

That would be the page and that is what I had a hard time figuring out, especially after seeing no references mentioned. That's what lead to me searching for answers. I had never heard of Clove Oil used as a disinfectant in any way. As mentioned before, I had read where it was used for sores or wounds, but not with the toothache, which I am glad you all brought up. As I am sure you all can tell I am not medical smart in any manner, but have always been interested in it. In a previous thread I had wrote where I read where pepperment leafs were used at time for toothaces, etc., but that's a different topic.

I'm sure Noah has information on whether oil of cloves was included
in the military medical supply table.

That was my original intent to ask when I wrote my previous post, but just didn't word it that way.