Civil War Period Tinned Medical Supply Can of Carbon Disulphide

Description

Civil War Period Tinned Medical Supply Can of

Carbon Disulphide

 

Original Civil War period tinned medical supply can retaining its paper contents label for “One Pound Carbon Disulphide (Carbon Bisulphuret),” manufactured by the well-known Mallinckrodt Chemical Works of St. Louis and New York. The cylindrical tin retains its original cork stopper and exhibits an untouched attic-aged surface with scattered oxidation and honest age wear throughout.

 

Carbon disulphide was a volatile industrial and chemical compound utilized during the mid-19th century in laboratory, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing applications. Containers of this type would have been found among hospital, apothecary, laboratory, or medical supply stores during the Civil War era. The surviving paper label remains remarkably legible considering the fragile nature of such chemically exposed packaging, boldly displaying both the contents and maker information.

 

Mallinckrodt was one of the more significant American chemical firms of the period, supplying compounds and medical-related materials during the war years and into the late 19th century. Survival of original labeled chemical tins from the Civil War era is increasingly uncommon, particularly examples retaining strong display character and their original closures.

 

An evocative and highly displayable piece of Civil War medical and pharmaceutical history with excellent shelf presence.

 

Inventory Number: MED 339