The Army Medical Museum : a history / by D.S. Lamb.

Lamb, Daniel Smith, 1843-1929.

Date:: [1916?]

Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Army Medical Museum : a history / by D.S. Lamb. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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I from whiskey and other alcoholic liquors, that from time to time were seized by provost marshals and other army officers under circumstances that called for their condemnation. The liquors were usually turned over for storage to the medical purveyors, and much of the stuff was then sent to the Museum for the preservation of .specimens. The strength of the alcohol used for preservation was about 70 per cent., a little higher for nerve tissues. It was a simple matter to change the fluid on specimens and recover the alcohol by redistillation. The museum was not compelled to buy alcohol for preserving specimens, for many years, the quantity of confiscated liquors was so large. Other preservative liquids have from time to time been tried, but although the objections to alcohol were particularly that it decolorized and shrunk the specimens, it was altogether the most satisfactory preservative, and its use was continued until the formula of what is known as the “ Kaiserling” process was published, after which the use of alcohol was almost entirely discontinued except as part of that process. With some modifi¬ cation, the Kaiserling process has been used with much satisfaction for wet specimens since June, 1897. Specimens prepared by this process were originally intended to be kept in the dark, but of course this would not answer for a museum. May 21, 1863, Brinton was again ordered to go to the Army of the Potomac to collect specimens. By this time the collection had outgrown its accommodations, and Brinton looked about for some other and more suitable place. He found a place on H Street, Northwest, between 13th and 14th, north side, in a building occupied by a school, and generally known as the Corcoran sclioolhouse, because it had been built by a Mr. W. W. Corcoran, a well known banker of Washington, who had at one time been associated with the Riggs bankers. May 22, the Secretary of War, E. M. Stanton, ordered that the building be turned over to the Medical Department of the army for the use of the Museum. The school, however, was permitted to finish its term; the building then was altered for Museum purposes, and in the following September the collection was transferred to it. In the meantime, after the battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to 3, 1863, Brinton and Dr. Schafhirt went there to collect specimens and Schafhirt packed two barrels full and sent them to Washington. It may be mentioned that General Daniel E. Sickles was shot in the leg at Gettysburg ; his leg was amputated and by his direction sent to the Museum, where the bones were prepared and mounted as number 1335 of the pathological series. From time to time for some years the General dropped in at the Museum to see his remains. In August, 1863, a lot of specimens was received from the hos¬ pitals in Eouisville, Ky., and during this month a number of boxes containing cans and with lock and key, were sent to hospitals for collections ; the preservative furnished was whiskey.