Civil War Medical Kit
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GUEST:
This is a Civil War medicine kit that one of my great-great-relatives carried through the Civil War, and it's been passed down through the family with letters from him to his sister. His name was Charles Bast, and he was from Pennsylvania. And he survived the war.
APPRAISER:
During the Civil War, retailers sold the soldiers going off to war things to carry with them. This is one of those kind of things. It's a pocket pharmacy. A first aid kit, it's dated '61 on the little book that tells you what it's for. We've got all the little vials with the name labels on them. Did you ever notice this one? It's...
GUEST:
I went through all of them, but my wife's uncle was a pharmacist, and he said some of them would help and some of them would definitely not help.
APPRAISER:
Well, I noticed the name on it, and it's nux vomica. And when you open the book up, you see that it was for... "over-eating and drinking." (both laughing) So, it's a hangover remedy, in theory.
GUEST:
Yeah, yeah.
APPRIASER: But it's a great little piece. It's actually made like a book, so you could close it up. I love the way you've displayed it. You've got it in there with the letter, and the letter was written to his sister during the war?
GUEST:
Right, yes.
APPRAISER:
A wonderful little addition to a personal item like this. You don't see these offered all the time. It's a piece that would retail somewhere in the $300 to $500 range, if it wasn't a family piece.
GUEST:
Yeah, well, it is, and we would never get rid of it, but that's great to know. Thank you.
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