Drug Supplies in the American RevolutionGriffenhagen, George B.
History
Drug Supplies in the American Revolution
Griffenhagen, George B.
Pharmacy -- History -- United States; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Medical and sanitary affairs
Morgan arrived in New York about June 3 and purchased some additional
drugs there. By June 17 his staff had made up 30 medicine chests for
the regiments at New York as well as for "the branches of the General
Hospital at New-York, in the bowry and neighborhood and at
Long-Island." But the number of regiments requiring medical supplies
exceeded Morgan's expectations, particularly since he had been advised
that "the Southward regiments" would be supplied by Congress in
Philadelphia.[50]
By the middle of June, Morgan must have realized that the supply of
drugs available was inadequate despite the sizable quantity brought
from Boston and the small stock he was able to obtain in New York. It
appears that many of the New York druggists were Loyalists, and
somehow they and their stock of drugs disappeared when needed by
Washington's army. For example, druggist Thomas Attwood "removed his
store consisting of a general assortment of Drugs and Medicines" to
Newark in May only to reappear in New York again under British
occupation with a good stock of "Drugs and Medicines."[51]
The New York Committee of Safety had attempted to develop a stock of
drugs early in the year when they were plentiful,[52] but in June this
supply was valued at only L30. Even this small stock was not available
to Morgan because when he asked permission to purchase the medicines
at "a reasonable price ... for use of the Continental Hospital" the
New York Provincial Congress rejected his plea on June 26 with the
explanation that this medicine was to be "reserved for the use of the
poor and other inhabitants of this city."[53]
With increasing demands to supply the troops in the Northern
Department, Morgan turned to Philadelphia and the Continental
Congress. Morgan owned a small stock of drugs in Philadelphia, and
knew of another supply in the possession of the firm of Delaney and
Smith,[54] so he sent Dr. Barnabus Binney to Philadelphia to forward
"with all dispatch" what medicines he had there and whatever could be
obtained from Congress.[55] Congress resolved on July 17 "to purchase
the Medicines (now in Phila) belonging to Doctor Morgan,"[56] but for
nearly a month Binney was unable to obtain any additional supplies
either from Congress or from private sources.
On June 25 Morgan wrote to Samuel Adams asking for power "to demand a
proportion of the Continental medicines left in care of Messrs.
Delaney & Smith," and he repeated the request in July. However,
Morgan's only reply from Adams, dated August 5, made no mention of the
Delaney and Smith drug stock. Instead Adams wrote only: "I have
received several letters from you, which I should have sooner
acknowledged, if I could only have found leisure. I took however, the
necessary steps to have what you requested effected in Congress."[57]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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