Real Men of Genius - Civil War Medicine Edition #3

Here is another outlandish medical-related patent from the Civil War years...See my previous posts for Editions #1 and #2. Enjoy!

Having a bit of an upper respiratory problem? Have you considered wolf's lung? I don't mean a plant (like lungwort), I mean an ACTUAL lung of an ACTUAL wolf! That was the secret ingredient in Jacob Leich's "Improved Medical Compound" (for consumption), United States Patent #44,323 granted on September 20, 1864!

Full patent text is here and below...and read more below about "wolf's lung"!

JACOB LEICH
BROOKLYN, E. D., NEW YORK
Patent No. 44,323
September 20, 1864

IMPROVED MEDICAL COMPOUND

Be it known that I, Jacob Leich, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Medical Compound; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and use the same.

The object of this invention is a compound which, by several years practice, has been found to be a sure remedy for consumption, to be used by persons of both sexes as well as grown persons.

The compound is made of the following ingredients: Herba pulmonaria arboris, (tree lungwort) one ounce, (for which may be substituted Herba hepatica, lungwort;) Pulmo ulbus, (the lung of a fox,) one ounce; Radix helenii, (root of elecampane,) one ounce; Radix zingiberis, (ginger,) one ounce; Semen foeniculi, (fennel seed,) one ounce; Semen anisi, (anise-seed,) one ounce; Saccharum album, (white sugar,) six ounces.

The lung of a fox is cut up in slices and roasted with all the blood and juice at a slow fire until it is dry enough to be pulverized. The plants are all dried, either in the open air or by artificial heat, and then pulverized and well mixed with each other and with the pulverized lung, in about the proportion above stated. The treelungwort or Herba pulmonaria arboris is used more particularly for male patients, and when the composition is to be used for females I substitute for it the plain lungwort or Herba hepatica. After the ingredients have been well mixed I make a decoction of more or less strength, according to the state of the disease and order the patient to take it three or more times a day in suitable quantities.

The beneficial effect of this compound is felt very soon, and I have succeeded in curing consumption in such cases where all hope had been given up.

As strange as it may seem (and it does seem strange, doesn't it?!), Mr. Leich was on well-tread ground putting "lung of fox" in his decoction as it had been a tradition in folk medicine and materia medica for centuries to cure asthma and other respiratory diseases!

For example, in a 1901 article in The Practitioner, one physician - writing on "Organo-Therapy in the Middle Ages" - states:

In his Ars Curandi Parva, published in 1566, Jerome Cardan, in the chapter Pro difficultate spirandi, gives his own experience of fox's lung as a remedy for pulmonary complaints: —

"Another remedy whereof I have made trial on myself twice and which I found very efficacious when, in 1531, I suffered from difficulty of breathing and violent cough, is the lung of a fox. The organ is taken out of the animal, washed in wine as soon as it is removed, dried in an oven, and when it is dried one takes of it 3 drachms crushed fine in the yolk of an egg. The medicine is taken two or three times. One may also eat the lungs of animals and find good of it, as I have convinced myself. I even believe that if someone were to use this remedy for a long time he would feel remarkably better, since every corresponding organ is strengthened by similar organs."

So, there you have it! I'm not sure it's for me.

Civil War Letter from the "Schmidt Collection" - 1861 Letter from DC Hospital

A nice, cheerful 1861 letter from a soldier (C. Lyon, regiment unknown) written to friends and family from the U.S. Hospital in Georgetown, DC. on lovely patriotic stationery!

U.S. Hospital
Georgetown DC

Sunday Dec 1, 1861

Dear Friends at Home

As there are several of you there I take the privilege of addressing you all at the same time. Your very kind letters have all arrived and in return for these many favors I must say I am very thankful indeed and my hope is that they may continue (At least until I am out of the hospital). Think not by this that I do not receive good attention and care for such is not the case; still it is not an agreeable place to be.

I wrote to you about a week since that I was gaining. Since then I have had a sort of pull back occasioned perhaps by a little impudence of mine but I am now gaining faster than ever. I received a letter the other day containing a word from Louisa, my father and (illegible) by which I learned Louisa had arrived again in (illegible) How I would like to be there and have a good time with you all but this is next to impossible.

I was agreeable surprised the other day to see an old neighbor in the person of Mr. John Hall. It seems good to see a person direct from home.

Those things you sent to me will be just what I shall need when I recover (illegible) the clothing as it will be cold wintry weather by that time.

The fruit was very nice. I had the peaches cooked yesterday they are good and taste quite natural.

The weather here is pleasant but the air continues to grow cold and we shall soon have snow. I am getting tired and close but not without expressing the wish to hear again from you all as often as convenient.

I remain as ever yours and etc.

C _ Lyon

18th Annual Conference on Civil War Medicine - October 1-3, 2010!!!

I'm so pleased to be attending the National Conference on Civil War Medicine (sponsored by the National Museum of Civil War Medicine) again this year in Towson, Maryland!

I attended the meeting last year and had a TERRIFIC time (read my trip report here)! Check out the GREAT speaking lineup below...the Saturday Tour sounds wonderful also! Hope to see you there!

(Shameless Self-Promotion: Check out who is speaking on Sunday!)

For a conference brochure and registration details contact Karen Thomassen at 301-695-1864 or e-mail Museum at civilwarmed dot org.

Thursday - September 30 - 8:00 pm - Pre-Conference Event
The H. L. Hunley Submarine
George Wunderlich, NMCWM Executive Director

Join Mr. Wunderlich as he discusses his latest adventure with the National Geographic Channel, where he performed ballistic tests in an effort to discover what sank the Hunley. A reproduction of the submarine’s coning tower will be available for viewing.

Friday, October 1, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Artificial Limbs in the Civil War Era
Guy R. Hasegawa, Pharm.D.

Interest in artificial limbs in the United States began to grow in the years before the Civil War as industrial, farming, and railroad accidents became more common. Large manufacturers, based almost exclusively in the North, developed elegant articulated devices made primarily of wood and outfitted with ingenious systems of hinges, cords, and springs. The large and growing pool of amputees created by the war intensified competition among Northern firms and prompted the establishment of a small number of limb companies in the South.

Dr. Edward E. Stonestreet (1830-1903) Nineteenth Century Physician & Civil War Surgeon: An Exemplary Life
Clarence R. Hickey, Jr.

While Dr. Stonestreet’s Civil War service of about one year was a relatively small part of his nearly 52-year medical career, he had historic connections to significant Civil War medical persons and events. Mr. Hickey will discuss the life and career of Dr. Stonestreet in context of the nineteenth century world in which he lived, including his pre-war medical education, his service as an examining surgeon and as an acting assistant, resulting in a portrait of a remarkable man who cared for, and took care of, his community.

The Incredible Journey of Dr. Simon Baruch, From German Immigrant to Pioneering American Physician
Jon F. Willen, M.D.

Dr. Baruch spent a considerable part of his early career as a Confederate Army Surgeon, participating in many of the major eastern battles with experiences in field and general hospitals. Dr. Willen will summarize Baruch’s career as a surgeon, as well as his post-war years as a pioneering American physician in the development of surgery for appendicitis and free public baths in New York City.

Civil War Anesthesia
Philip S. Gibbs, M.D.

The two useful anesthetic agents in the 1860s were ether and chloroform. The characteristics of each agent and their anesthetic potency will be discussed. Chloroform is quick to sleep and to awaken. Ether is much slower. Air and ether is a very combustible mixture, while chloroform is not combustible. Dr. Gibbs will relate his personal experiences administering both agents which parallel battlefield anesthesia during the Civil War. A short film clip will actually demonstrate Civil War levels of anesthesia.

Saturday, October 2, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Military Geology of Antietam Battlefield, Maryland, USA - Geology, Terrain, and Casualties
Robert C. Whisonant, Ph.D.

Military commanders have long appreciated the importance of terrain to the success of their campaigns and battles. Yet only recently has the connection between geological conditions and the surface topographic features been recognized. For the past ten years Dr. Whisonant and Judy Ehlen, Ph.D., have studied the linkages among geology, terrain, and casualties on American Civil War battlefields. Dr. Whisonant’s presentation will guide you through the battle on the ground and show how lethal certain geologic topographic conditions were to both armies.

The Army Meteorological Register: Regimental Surgeon-Scientists and the Logic Behind Daily Weather Reports
Patrick M. Vance, MS, MPA

In 1814 Army Surgeon General James Tilton first required that regimental surgeons record daily weather observations. This chore, reinforced by his successors, is a little known part of military medical history. The scientific logic behind this curious effort illustrates shifting medical assumptions about relationships between atmospheres, climates, diseases and cures. Artistotle, Lawson, Solly, Hippocrates, Meigs, Lovell, Finely, Snow, Scoresby-Jackson and even Myer are all encountered in this explanation of the Medical Department’s century long interest in weather.

The War Came by Train
Daniel Carroll Toomey

When the Civil War began, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad quickly became the most important railroad in the nation. Located in a no-man’s land between North and South, it was continuously under assault. Using ingenious techniques, the B&O repaired the damage and adapted to war. It was used to clear battlefields of the wounded and prisoners, participated in large scale troop movements, and developed specialized equipment such as bullet proof box cars for carrying ammunition.


Bus Tour, Saturday October 2, 1-5pm

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, Birthplace of American Railroading

Perfectly set-up by Mr. Toomey’s presentation of The War Came by Train, conference attendees will participate in a bus tour to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum. This universally recognized birthplace of American railroading represents the vision, establishment, development and creation of the first common carrier railroad in the Western Hemisphere. Established in March 1829, the Mt. Clare Shops are the oldest continually operating railroad shops in the world. An extensive list of historical and technological firsts was accomplished there. From the perfection of the flanged wheel, and the building and operation of the first American built steam locomotive to the construction of the world’s first conditioned passenger car, Mt. Clare was a laboratory of American ingenuity. The oldest, most comprehensive American railroad collection in the world, the B&O’s architecturally and historically significant railroad buildings and structures are preserved and interpreted as part of its collection. Visit borail.org for more information.

Sunday, October 3, 8:00 a.m. - Noon

“...pandemonium on a spree...”: Insects and the Civil War
Gary L. Miller, Ph.D.

The fact that microbes caused more death than hostile fire is well known to the student of the American Civil War. However, the role of insects in the transmission of these disease-causing organisms has been greatly overlooked. Maladies such as dysentery and malaria have an important or critical insect component and accounted for tremendous suffering during the war. Surrounded by insects such as flies, lice, and fleas, both armies found themselves battling more than each other. By interconnecting history and natural history, this lecture reveals the significant impact of insects on soldiering during the Civil War.

Face to Face with History: William P. Powell, Jr., African American Civil War Surgeon
Jill L. Newmark, National Library of Medicine Exhibition Specialist

The story of African American medical personnel serving during the Civil War is an often neglected part of Civil War history and little has been written on the subject. Few personal accounts of black surgeons and nurses exist, and materials are often hidden among the thousands of Civil War records contained in repositories throughout the country including the National Archives and Records Administration. Ms. Newmark will present a journal of discovery that will introduce the life and work of African American Civil War Surgeon William P. Powell, Jr., by exploring existing historical records that reveal this once hidden part of history.

“The Soldier’s True Friend” Quack Medicines and the Civil War Soldier from the First Shot to the Last Veteran
James M. Schmidt

The use of patent, proprietary, or “quack” medicines began in colonial America, continued through the early 1800s, accelerated during the Civil War, and then declined after the 1930s. This lecture will cover several topics related to the important and interesting role patent medicines played in the American Civil War. Mr. Schmidt has a significant collection of Civil War patent medicine ephemera which he will also share with the attendees.

D-Day Militaria Contest Winner!

"There’s an old saying that I’ve heard that “A Grandparent is a child’s link to the past.”

So began the WONDERFUL and heartfelt message from the winner of the D-Day Militaria General Order/Citation Contest, Mr. Travis Archie. Read more about his grandfather below. Congratulations, Mr. Archie!

Look for future contests here on the blog!

There’s an old saying that I’ve heard that “A Grandparent is a child’s link to the past.” I would most assuredly agree with this. My late Grandpa was Technician Fourth Grade (at the time of his discharge) Walter C. Archie of Co. E, 303rd Infantry Regiment, of the 97th Infantry Division, and he, in more ways than one was my link to the past.

My earliest memories, and in fact most memories of my childhood involve him, and the stories he had to tell. He was born in 1923 in Dorena, Missouri in the “Bootheel” region of Missouri, to Tennessee parents. They moved around a lot but stayed in the Mississippi River Valley of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri…wherever his father could find work in the impoverished time and region. In 1930 his father died leaving his mother to take care of nine kids. This was of course, in the midst of the Great Depression and so Grandpa with about the equivalent of a third grade education, had to drop out of school, pick up a heavy duty canvas bag, and go to work in the cotton fields of Western Tennessee and Western Kentucky.

I grew up listening to his stories of how hard life was, how simple things couldn’t be had. Shoes were a winter time luxury (after the fall harvest), and it seemed no matter how much one toiled and worked, it seemed for naught. So when World War II broke out, it seemed that (among other factors) escape from poverty and monotony may have been some motivation to join up. It was passed down to me from family members, that he probably didn’t have a good meal until he enlisted. Along with Basic Training and Infantry school, Grandpa went through desert training at Camp Swift, Texas, jungle training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, urban, forest, and cold weather training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Amphibious training in Southern California.

They were originally slated to go to the Pacific Theatre of Operations, but Hitler launched the Ardennes Offensive aka. “Battle of the Bulge” from our perspective. The loss of nearly 80,000 Americans during the battle prompted the army to send the 97th Division to Europe as fresh troops for the final push into Germany. They fought in the Ruhr Pocket Campaign. Street-to-street, house-to-house, factory-to-factory fighting through the industrial center of Germany.

At some point Grandpa was one of a relatively small number of his twelve-thousand man division to receive the Bronze Star, of this I am very proud. He, however, could care less. When I was searching for knowledge on the subject (which in truth I always am), I naively asked Grandpa what he did to earn the medal….If I would have known what I know about veterans of combat and the psychological problems they have due to things that are even in their distant past, I never would have foolishly asked him. His response was simply “I don’t know”.

I have always had pride in him and his service, even though his pride was in a different way. He told me things about training and such, but he never really told me about his experiences in combat. He only talked of such things when he had a little to drink. I have literally had a lifelong obsession with American Military history, particularly The Civil War and World War II. It all started with the stories I heard from, and about this man I called Grandpa. Stories about the “Great Depression“, our lineage and his involvement in the Second World War. It may be a little selfish, but I feel like I’m missing a big part of my heritage and that history I love so much, by not knowing his full story. I humbly submit this story as the reason I am interested in winning your contest.

Win a Free WWII Decoration Citation from D-Day Militaria!

As a follow-up to my previous post about the excellent, affordable, and timely service that Mr. Brandon Weigand at D-Day Militaria provides in finding and copying WWII General Orders and decoration (Bronze Star, Silver Star, etc) citations, here is your chance to:

WIN A FREE COPY OF A WWII SOLDIER'S DECORATION CITATION

FROM D-DAY MILITARIA!!!

Just comment on this post or send me an e-mail (schmidtjamesm at gmail dot com)with as much information you have on the soldier and why you are interested in receiving their service record. The deadline is Sunday, July 18, 2010.

The winner will receive a copy of a general order awarding decoration/s of their choosing from one of the commands listed on D-Day Militaria's website. See an example below!

Research Resource Review #2 - "D-Day Militaria"

Headquarters - 10th Armored Division

General Orders Number 148

9 July 1945

"By direction of the President and under the provisions of Army Regulations...a Silver Star is awarded posthumously to:

Sergeant Romia L. Roscoe, 38688883, Company B, 20th Armored Infantry Batallion, United States Army for gallantry in action at Ehrang, Germany on 5 March 1945. When several assault boats were sunk by enemy action, Sergeant Roscoe, assistant squad leader, bravely waded into the river under intense enemy fire to rescue two wounded soldiers from drowning and evacuated them to safety. His gallantry reflects great credit upon himself and the military forces of the United States."

The Silver Star is the third-highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy. As with reading citations for the Medal of Honor or the Distinguished Service Cross, one can't help but be inspired and humbled by the bravery described in Silver Star and Bronze Star citations.

In addition to doing reading, research, and writing on the American Civil War, I do the same for World War II, for several reasons: my grandfather fought in WWII with the 70th Infantry Division and the subject crosses my other interests in military history (medicine, chaplains, institutional history, etc.). In the past few years, I secured a lot of wartime letters from another WWII soldier (nota relative) and learning more about him, I found out that he had earned the Bronze Star and Silver Star for gallantry in action. I'll write more on this particular soldier in the future, but in wanting to learn more about how he earned his decorations, I was referred to another excellent research service: Mr. Brandon Weigand at D-Day Militaria.

He helped me secure the Bronze Star (x2) and Silver Star citations for "my" soldier quickly and affordably and in doing so greatly enriched my knowledge of the soldier and the battles in which he participated.

Mr. Weigand specializes in compiling the "General Orders" for decorations awarded by various American infantry and armored divisions during WWII. Once a GO is identified with a particular name, he can also often find the full citation for the award (such as that for the incredibly brave Sgt. Roscoe noted above). As with all archival sources there are limits to what is available, but Mr. Weigand is an expert and happily answers questions about the process and is very honest about what you can (and can't) expect to learn.

Even if you aren't interested in the decorations for a particular relative or soldier, researching the decorations awarded at a particular battle or within a particular division can greatly add value to other research you may be doing!

Furthermore, while my interest was in WWII, Mr. Weigand also has decoration info for the Civil War, World War I, and Korea.

See my interview with Mr. Weigand below and stay tuned for a chance to win a free name look-up and decoration citation from D-Day Militaria!

1) In the words of Austin Powers, "allow yourself to introduce yourself"!

I started compiling US decoration information in 1999. I published four books on various branches of my family history before I began publishing general order indices in 2002.

While still in high school I enlisted into the Army Reserves, serving as a combat engineer in a mechanized infantry brigade. I was nominated to the US Military Academy and the US Air Force Academy, but decided to marry instead. I entered the regular army following graduation and was reclassified as a Patriot Missile Crewmember. I served in Germany and at Fort Bliss. While serving with 1-6th Air Defense Artillery I assisted in the field testing and the development of the Theater High Altitude Area Defense Missile System. Soon after being promoted to Staff Sergeant I was selected for recruiting duty, where I ended my eight-year military career.

Upon my discharge I formally started my research and publishing company. In addition to publishing 80 books and two articles to date I have completed a Bachelors of Science degree from Geneva College as well as Masters degrees in managemnt, leadership and business administration.

I have received numerous military, academic, and civic awards, including the Colonel Albert Gleim Memorial Medal for my research and publishing activities; several certificates and coins from Army Commanders for assisting them in researching decoration recipients to name buildings, erect monuments, etc.

2) First, thank you for your service to our country, Mr. Weigand; when and why did you start this business?

The business started after I finished researching my great uncle's military service. I had amassed a lot of knowledge and sources. So I figured to use what I had learned and purchased to make the information readily available to the average person that does not have the time or funds to drive to College Park, MD

3) Where did your interest in history/military history come from?

I was basically raised by my maternal grandparents so I was surrounded by WWII veterans.

4) What are the advantages of using a service like yours instead of using the NARA forms/process?

Price and turn around time

5) Are most of your customers researching family history, authors working on historical books, both, other?

1. researching self or family member

2. militaria collectors

3. libraries

4. authors

6) What information do people need to use your service?

As little as just the veteran's name, but additional information is helpful in determining if it is the same person as there were 14 million WWII veterans and many had the same name.

7) What is a "General Order"?

It is a type of administrative document that commonly awards decorations, although some decorations were awarded in Letter Orders and Special Orders as well.

8) What can customers expect with a decoration citation? What can they not expect?

This varies greatly, on the command, the time period, security measures in effect at the time of the approval, the type of the decoration.

It is critical to understand that not every command could award every decoration. The higher the decorations required commanders at higher levels to approve them, thus you will not find Medal of Honors, Distinguished Service Crosses, Distinguished Service Medals, Legion of Merits or Distinguished Flying Crosses (under normal circumstances) awarded in Divisional general orders, as these awards were reserved for the War Department, Theater Commanders, and Army Commanders. The MOH and DSM could only be awarded by the War Department and the Legion of Merit was reserved for Theater Commanders and the War Department.

Under normal circumstances awards of decorations were made at the lowest approving authority. But this would be at the time that the award was approved not when the action occurred. This does not mean that all the Silver Star Medals awarded to members of the 1st Infantry Division where published in the 1st Infantry Division's general orders.

Purple Heart Medals were normally awarded by the medical unit/hospital that treated the soldier. This is overly simplified, but it is critical to understand the chain of evacuation. The bottom line is only those who were lightly wounded and returned immediately to duty will have their Purple Heart Medals issued in divisional or regimental general orders.

Once a decoration is published in a given command's general orders it is not republished in the superior command's general orders. Thus what is in the 506th PIR general orders is not in the 101st Airborne Division's general orders and vice versa.

All things considered the likelihood of a general order containing a full citation is directly related to where the decoration ranks in the pyramid of honor. Thus it is very likely that the General Order will have a full citation if it awards a Silver Star Medal or Distinguished Service Cross. Decorations awarded for meritorious service do not normally have full citations in the general orders. But these rules vary based upon the command, the time period, security measures in effect at the time of the approval and the basis of the decoration.

9) Do you encourage people to contact you with questions before they make an online order?

Yes, as I want them to be happy. I charge $1.00 to search my database, which then allows me to tell them what I can or cannot provide. I have digitized roughly enough general orders to account for 25% of the decorations awarded to Army Ground Forces during WWII

10) What is the future of archive digitalization as far as military decoration records?

If I can obtaining financing I would love to put the information on the web, with an user friendly interface that allows the users to get the General Order that they want in a matter of seconds.

Thanks, Mr. Weigand! If any of you are interested in WWII decorations I STRONGLY ENDORSE D-DAY MILITARIA!

Stay tuned for an opportunity to win a free name look-up and citation from D-Day Militaria!

Disclaimer: this was an unsolicted review. I received no compensation for this review or interview. I have been a customer of D-Day Militaria and happily endorse their service.

CivilWarDocs.com Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Brad Forbush on winning on a free Union soldier compiled military service record from CivilWarDocs.com!

I'll be featuring more research services in the coming weeks with more contests:

D-Day Militaria - free World War II decoration lookup and citation!

Newspaperarchive.com - Free 6-month subscription!

Footnote.com

Stay Tuned!