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1870-1900 US ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT NEUROLOGICAL
DIAGNOSIS INSTRUMENT CHEST – TYPE USED BY POST
HOSPITALS AS WELL AS FIELD HOSPITALS - GREAT DISPLAY
PIECE: This US Army Medical Department
“Neurologic Diagnosis Case” includes features such as
the style of construction, size, and the color of the
original paint, which indicate this instrument chest is
the type to have been used by US Army physicians and
surgeons in post hospitals on frontier posts and on
campaign in field hospitals during the late 19TH
Century and first decade of the 20TH
Century.
The paint color on the case and the stenciled legend on
the end - “MED DEPT USA”- may help to date the case. The
earliest origins of the medical personnel and facilities
were titled the “US Medical Department” by the Second
Continental Congress in 1775, and that title continued
until 1908 when Congress changed the name to the “US
Army Medical Corps”, the title which continues today.
The green paint on the exterior of the case is typical
of the paint used on the majority of such cases and
chests through the army during the last half of the 19TH
Century including gun crates, ammunition crates, and the
tool boxes used by the various articifers, farriers, and
carpenters in the ranks. At some point in the early
1900’s – prior to the 1908 department name change, and
certainly prior to the First World War, the medical
service had begun painting their various instrument,
bandage and equipment boxes with the classic red paint
with the red cross on white field painted on top of the
background color. So, the case with its early frontier
army green paint may very well date to the late Indian
Wars.
Finally, the medical sciences had made considerable
advances in treating head wounds in the post-Civil War
years and by the 1870’s and 1880’s successful brain
surgeries were being reported. So, that this chest is
identified as a “Diagnosis Case Neurologic” could well
date it from the Indian Wars period.
No doubt a relatively scarce survivor of the late Indian
War - 1900 period, this chest is very solid and retains
the original lid. Measuring 13 ¼” long, 9” wide and 6
¾” tall, the exterior of the chest retains the majority
of the original green paint unique to the 19TH
Century army. All of the seams are tight, with no
splits, cracks or other damage to the wood, and the
workmanship in the construction of the chest is very
well done. The lid is securely attached with the
original iron hinges. The latch which secured the lid
on the front face of the case is no longer present. The
original instrument dividers are present in the
interior, and like the chest, are solid and full form.
The top and one end are stenciled in black paint with
the legible legends described above.
Adding to the history of this piece is a small paper tag
attached to the folding brass handle attached to the top
of the chest bearing the hand written notation which
names a doctor, likely attached when this case was
obtained from the doctor’s estate. In addition, affixed
to the ends and the back of the box are the remnants of
paper luggage labels, again guessing but perhaps
evidence that the doctor used this case as part of his
personal luggage as he traveled to various assignments
around the world. The labels appear to be worded in
French, suggesting the doctor traveled to France for
some of his training – not uncommon in the day – or that
he was assigned to France during World War One. All
this combines to suggest this case experienced an
interesting.
Not only an attractive display piece, this chest is also
very utilitarian for the collector whether in your
collection at home or on the road setting up a display.
The chest will hold all those loose pieces, display
fixtures, and gun cleaning supplies and tools for
maintaining your collection.
These instrument chests were used in hard environments
and are rarely found in collections. This particular
piece has survived in very nice condition from a very
desirable and historic era. (0920) $350
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