19th Century Doctor’s Saddlebag: An Analysis of the Contents and a conservation Treatment

OverView

The medicinal contents found within a mid-1800’s saddlebag were investigated using multimodal imaging techniques, micro-transmission Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (transFTIR), pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (pyGCMS), X- Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF), Raman Spectroscopy and the reference collection of the SUNY Buffalo State Eckert Herbarium. Housed within glass vials and paper packets, the medicinal samples from seventeen different containers were analyzed and their results compared with historical references. Informed by the health and safety measures dictated by the identified contents a conservation treatment was completed and involved a modified imaging set-up, reassembly and filling the losses of a glass vial with Japanese paper reinforced with B-72, securing the contents of the paper packets using gampi, and constructing archival housing for all twenty of the individual objects.

Analysis

Medicines with probable identification were found to be of both mineral and botanical origins: mercurous chloride, lead acetate, magnesium carbonate, iron oxides, gum arabic, ground croton seeds, benzoin resin, Fabaceae senna and Arctostaphylos uva- ursi leaves, bark, and roots.

The two images below are of the same vials before treatment. A combination of XRF, Raman, transFTIR, pyGCMS and multimodal imaging helped establish the likely identification of the contents within these vials: From left to right the contents of the vials are likely iron oxide, magnesium carbonate, ground croton seeds, lead acetate, a benzoin resin with guaiac resin, a type polysaccharide, mercurous chloride (a.k.a calomel), iron oxide, and an oil and wax blend. Calomel was the first medicine to be identified based on the presence of mercury when analyzed using a handheld XRF and its bright orange fluorescence when exposed to ultraviolet (UVA ) light.

The contents of the paper packets were analyzed using XRF, radiography, transFTIR, and multi-modal imaging. A few of the packets contained botanical specimens which were compared to botanical specimens at the SUNY Buffalo State Herbarium. All but one of the packets were opened either to treat the paper wrapping or in the hopes of learning more about where these medicines were purchased and used. The one packet that was not opened is shown below in both normal and reflected near infrared images. Graphite will absorb both infrared as well as visible light, therefore its darkness will remain the same for a reflected near infrared image. It is the paper that the graphite handwriting is upon that responds differently in visible and in IR. The paper brightened in this image, compared with the visible light image, thus increasing the contrast between the handwriting and the paper. Using the Adobe Bridge application, the contrast of the reflected IR image was increased even more and allowed for a legible text reading “Blister plaster”.

Blister plasters are blistering agents, believed to alleviate pain by being applied to the skin to create a blister that would draw blood away from the afflicted part of the body and ease suffering. The health risks of potential blister formation upon skin contact supported the decision to not open the packet. Knowing that it contained blister plasters already felt like an analysis success and greatly informed the function of the contents.

Treatment

Broken Glass Vial: R3

This glass vial was found in twelve fragments, inside of a plastic bag, at the bottom of one of the leather saddlebag compartments. The bulk of the dirt and insect casing build up were removed from each shard using dry brushes. The fragments were then washed with a tap water : Triton XL 80N (40:1) solution, then rinsed in deionized water and allowed to dry on paper towel. Stubborn rust stains were reduced on three shards using a 5% oxalic acid solution in deionized water. This solution was applied using a 10-20 minutes cotton poultice which was then rinsed with deionized water. The edges of each shard was then cleaned with acetone to remove any excess grime.

The fragments could then be reassembled in a glass bead “sand box” and break edges temporarily secured together using blue tape. The aligned edges could then be adhered together using 30% Paraloid B-72 in xylene:acetone (4:1) applied in drop form along the cracks. Once the solvent evaporated, excess B-72 was removed with acetone. Once the fragments were assembled, losses in the incredibly delicate and thin vial walls could be addressed.

The fragility of the glass vial remained of high priority when considering the options for fill materials and methods to reduce the chance of fracturing. Based on trials and research conducted, the following technique was employed to fill the losses. Japanese kozo paper was dipped on average six times into a container of 15% B-72 in acetone. Between each dip the resin-soaked paper was laid on a sheet of silicone release mylar and covered with a glass jar to allow the acetone to slowly evaporate. After multiple rounds, the kozo paper was ready to be used as a fill material as long as no bubbles were present and the paper appeared saturated. The loss was then traced and the kozo paper was cut to be just larger than the loss itself. Having the fill be slightly larger than the loss provided an overlap where the kozo paper could be secured along the break edge using a drops of acetone. This reactivated the B-72 and secured the fill in place.

The kozo paper was chosen for its strength, its color and its thickness. The kozo paper reinforced with the B-72 remained flexible even after the solvent had evaporated and the B-72 can be easily solubilized in acetone to safely remove the fill without jeopardizing the vulnerable, thin glass walls of the vial. The result of these fills remain visible as the fibers of the kozo paper are detectable and the gloss is not a perfect match. This object was a functional glass vial, but no longer functions as a container. It value to a collection and to the saddlebag has changed, but it can now contribute to telling the history of this saddlebag.

Paper Packets

There were three types of treatments for the paper packets:

1. Not to open the packet due to safety concerns, as in the case of the “Blister Plaster” packet mentioned above.

2. Open the packet to obtain a small sample of the contents and document the paper wrapping.

3. Open the packet to insert additional, archival, material to secure the contents within the original paper and thread.

An example of the third type of treatment is shown in the video to the right. Gampi paper was chosen for its strength, tone, smooth surface texture, and impenetrability of the medicinal contents.

publicaTions and presentations

The results of this master’s thesis were published in a two-part publication (a teaser and then a longer article) for the International Institute for Conservation (IIC): News in Conservation. An application has been submitted to present at the Technart 2023 conference to be held in Lisbon, Portugal.