WORLD WAR ONE ERA AMMONIA
AMPOULE – IN ORIGINAL WOODEN TUBE WITH LABEL INTACT:
A rare offering, this single dose of Aromatic Spirit of
Ammonia is contained in a delicate glass ampoule which
in turn is carried in a wood tube to protect it until it
was needed. The wooden tube protecting a single dose
strongly suggests this packaging was intended to be
supplied to a care provider who was operating
independent of a clinic or hospital, such as a hospital
corpsman in the field.
The neck of the ampoule is
scored where it was intended to be opened, and the
wooden tube contains a short blade with a serrated edge
which was used to cut the neck of the ampoule at the
scoring in the glass. This blade also serves as a wedge
which keeps the ampoule from rattling in the tube.
Due to the delicate nature
of the ampoule, even with the protection of the wood
tube, the survival rate of these does of ammonia through
the years must have been quite low. The wooden tube
measures 3” long and just under ¾” in diameter, and the
ampoule is 2 ¾” long and 3/8” in diameter.
The label on the wooden
tube is mostly intact with enough of the printing
legible to identify the contents. The label on the
ampoule is fully intact and legible, and matches the
content of the label on the exterior of wooden tube.
This dose was manufactured by Burroughs Wellcome & Co.
of New York.
These early medical
supplies intended for use in the field do not appear on
the market with any frequency. This is a rare
opportunity to pick up an interesting addition for your
World War One medical display. (0405) $40
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