Produced by Stacy Brown, Colin Bell, Joseph Cooper and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net _George B. Griffenhagen_ DRUG SUPPLIES in the AMERICAN REVOLUTION Paper 16, pages 109-133, from CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY United States National Museum BULLETIN 225 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION WASHINGTON, D.C., 1961 Contributions from The Museum of History and Technology Paper 16 Drug Supplies in the American Revolution _George B. Griffenhagen_ CONTINENTAL MEDICINE CHESTS 111 TREASON, POISON, AND SIEGE 113 FROM BAD TO WORSE 115 "MEDICINES--NONE" 118 PRIVATEERS TO THE RESCUE 121 BRISK BUSINESS IN BOSTON 122 THE SITUATION IMPROVES 122 VALLEY FORGE 123 IN SUMMARY 129 DRUG SUPPLIES IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION _by George B. Griffenhagen_ _At the start of the Revolution, the Colonies were cut off from the source of their usual drug supply, England. A few drugs trickled through from the West Indies, but by 1776 there was an acute shortage._ _Lack of coordination and transportation resulted in a scarcity of drugs for the army hospitals even while druggists in other areas resorted to advertising in order to sell their stocks. Some relief came from British prize ships captured by the American navy and privateers, but the chaotic condition of drug supply was not eased until the alliance with France early in 1778._ The Author: _George Griffenhagen--formerly curator of medical sciences, United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution--is director of communications, American Pharmaceutical Association, and managing editor, Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association._