a few impression questions

[David Meister]

I have just a few Medical Impression questions

1 where do you get those bottles for your medicine kit and what would you put in them how manny bottles should I have?

2 would a confederate surgeon use a m1840 medical staff sword? or would he use another type... or possibaly not have a sword for dress at all?

3 is there anyone else besides Ed Archer who makes QUALITY pocket kits? Maybe its just a wish but I think there should be some competition

[cwmed]

Dear David,

The bottle question is a good question for "Noah Briggs" the sword question I dont know but since a surgeon was a "Staff Officer" he might have used the confederate version of the "Staff and Field" officers sword. As for the kits the "Mill Creck Merchantile" makes an horrible knock-off of Edd's "Type 2" pocket set but it is truley horrible. However it is only a fracktion of the price! That is my 2 cents for what it is worth.

Your Humble Servant,

Luke A. Castleberry

[NoahBriggs]

Bottles may be had at The Container Store. Kitchen section, six to seven inches tall, 1 and 3/4ths inches wide. corks included, by God. $2.49 per. You will not find them online; nor in a catalogue. arrrg!

Tins - if you can get the Village Tinsmith or Otter Creek to do custom jobs besides the square tins, then tins may be on the market. I think they should be, hint hint, since the authentic medical geeks are spreading across the hobby like multiplying mold spores.

The laudanum bottle from Two Flags is not accurate. I don't think the label is, either; the jury is out to lunch on that one. You want a small one with a geometric concave on either side. If I could get a picture I'd post it.

Save money. Skip the sword. It's superfolous fluff. You will never find an opportunity to wear it.

Agreed there should be competition on surgical kits. M. Castleberry is correct, Milk Creek makes a cheaper and lower-quality repo of the post mortem dissection kit. Reproducing is an expensive and risky venture. I struck lucky with an original from the antique store in Gettysburg.

[bulletsponge]

I've seen lots of small bottles at antique stores and malls. Since they were small and usually contained something unpalatable if not noxious, a lot of them ended up in the small trash dumps many people kept outside their houses. Because of their size, many have survived.

[NoahBriggs]

Indeed. I used to have one until I gave it away to another reenactor as a welcome gift.

There were hundreds of these bottles to which I refer in the inventory of the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary.

[sawbones]

I know from experience that you can get quality medical items, including bottles, at Dixie Leather Works. http://www.dlwleather.com/

Phil Makes only researched items and they are priced right. Just a thought and as has been said before in this thread, just my own 2 cents.

Mike