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Fort Scott National Historic Site
Post Hospital - Tool of the Trade

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

 

Tools or props that would be at a hospital station would include the following. 

 

Surgeon's Kit-Includes bonesaw, scalpel, forceps, and other operating tools.

 

 

 

Apothecary -A bag or case to hold medicines. There are medicine cases available for props, the large bag pictured and a smaller pouch. 

Medicine Bottles-Including quinine, ipecac, morphine, and ether, to name a few.
Bandages-occasionally washed out and reused-lack of sterilization didn't exactly promote rapid healing.
Bleeding Pan-used by surgeons during bloodletting to catch blood coming from patients' arm.

Pitcher and Wash Basin-"19th century version of our sink" for cleanup of all kinds.
Scales-For weighing and measuring medicines. Counterweights used on the scales helped surgeons determine how much medicine they were giving to patients.
Cots-Generally laid out next to each other in the wardrooms where patients recovered. Lack of isolated patient beds may have contributed to the spread of disease.

 
Hospital tools CotsScalesBandagesPitcher and BasinBleeding Pan
 

Ether Cone-A funnel with a sponge affixed inside. When administering ether, the ether would be poured onto the sponge, the funnel held over the patient's mouth, and the patient would breathe in the ether-which would put him to sleep. 

Leeches and Leech Box-Leeches are wormlike creatures that attach to the body and suck blood. Leeches were used in bloodletting as it was believed that draining blood out of the body would promote healing as poisonous substances were drained from the body along with the blood. 

Mortar and Pestle-For grinding medicine into powders. 

Quill Pen and Ink Well-For recording patient data and meteorological observations. 

Splint-To immobilize fractured legs and arms prior to moving a patient to a field hospital for surgery.

Stethoscopes-Wooden stethoscopes were placed so that one end was held to the doctor's ear and the other was held next to the patient's heart. The idea was the same as with modern stethoscopes, to listen to a patient's heartbeat.

 
Hospital Equipment Wooden SplintMortar and PestleEther ConeInk Well and Quill PenWooden StethoscopeLeeches and Leech Box
 
 
Medicine Bottle in Hospital
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Reenactors portraying the First Kansas Colored at a Civil War Encampment at Fort Scott in April of 2003

Did You Know?
Kansas was the first Union state to recruit, muster, train and send African American soldiers into combat during the Civil War. The First Kansas Colored Infantry mustered in at Fort Scott, Kansas on January 13, 1863. The unit compiled a proud combat record during the war.

Last Updated: March 04, 2011 at 15:51 MST