Civil War, U. S. Army Medicine Containers: Bottles, Jars & Tins

 

This is a collection of U.S. Army Medical Department specified containers for various medicines which were provided during the Civil War for the doctors in the field or rear area hospitals.  The following abbreviations would have been found on the paper labels or embossed on the bottles to identify the source of maker of the container.

U. S. A. Hosp.  Dept.  -   U. S. A. Med'l  Dept.  -  U. S. A. Med.  Dept.

U. S. A.  Med.  Purveying  Depot   -  E. R.  Squibb  -  U. S. A.  Laboratory

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Hosp Dept Bottles & Tins collection:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

 

  

Above left, three wide-mouth light blue, one light green USA Hosp. Dept. bottles

 

   

 

Dimensions of some items on this page:

Aqua: quart U. S. A. Hosp. Dept Bottle: 9 "

Clear: two small bottles U. S. A. Hosp. Dept Bottles: 4 " and 4 1/4 "

White: Quinine Cream ware ceramic Jar with lid: 5 "

Black: Tin Japanned container with cork: 3 1/2 "

Green: Squibb bottle with stopper: 7 " plus stopper

Olive: quart U. S. A. Hosp. Dept. bottle: 9 1/4 "

 

 

 

Two small bottles marked for the U. S. A. Hosp. Dept: 4 " and 4 1/4 "

Black Tin Japanned container: 3 1/2 "

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

Opium pulvules labeled tin container with opium contents

U. S. A.  Medical  Purveying  Depot / Astoria, Long Island

   

 

    

U. S. A. Med.  Dept.   U. S. A.  Laboratory  (1863) Ceramic Jar

 

 

Base of this heavily 'whittled' U.S.A. Hosp. Dept. quart bottle is marked 'SDS'

 

   

 

 U. S. A. Hosp. Dept.

    U. S. A. Hosp. Dept. olive colored quart bottle

 

    

U. S. A. Hosp. Dept. cobalt blue round and oval

 

Squibb ground-glass stopper

  

E. R. Squibb medical bottles produced during the Civil War

 

E. R. SQUIBB (Not Squibb "& Sons", which is later than the Civil War) is embossed on the shoulder with a clear ground glass stopper. 7 3/4" high. Smooth base. Applied square collar.  E. R. Squibb contracted with the military during the Civil War and Post Civil war to produce medical pannier's or chests with all the supplies need in the field or wagons. They also provided tin containers of medicines etc. which were used in military field containers.  E. R. Squibb bottles have been found in 1860's-70's military sites out West and, according to collector Jules Martino, probably back east.  As far as I know, these bottles come in at least two different sizes.

 

 

 

Squibb large mouth medicine bottle

 

 

Left: 'dug' bottles with water deposited 'crud' from being buried.  Right: after cleaning.

 

     

U.S.A. Medical (MED'L) and Hospital Department Bottles

   

Three variations: Olive, Amber, Yellow

Esmarch Chloroform - Ether Dropping Bottle, see full kit

Hosp Dept Bottles & Tins collection:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

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