ablishing proper
supply depots was the startling discovery that Director General
Church was guilty of holding treasonable correspondence with the
enemy. On October 16, Congress elected Dr. John Morgan to replace
Church.[24]

On December 2, by order of Morgan, Apothecary Craigie made an
inventory of the medical supplies in the general hospital at
Cambridge. The inventory included 120 different items, but only
limited quantities of the essential drugs.[25] There were 52 pounds of
Jesuits' bark, 18 pounds of cream of tartar, 76 pounds of purging
salts, 1 pound of camphor, 5 pounds of jalap, 1 pound of ipecac, and
1/2 pound of tartar emetic. The 44 pounds of gum ammoniac was reported
"damaged," and the 86 pounds of rhubarb was described as "bad."[26] An
inventory of medicines held by the different regimental surgeons in
Massachusetts indicated that all regiments had "but few medicines"
except for Colonel Hand's, which reported "a good supply."[27]

However, this rather meager inventory of drugs probably was not
inadequate. The siege of Boston resulted in few wounded soldiers, and
there was a surprisingly small amount of sickness in the army during
the winter of 1775-76; furthermore, towns not too distant still had a
limited supply of drugs on hand. Smith and Coit, of Hartford,
Connecticut, informed "their good Customers, and the public in
general, that notwithstanding the entire stop to Importation which
hath long since taken place, they still have on hand, small Quantities
of most Articles of the Apothecary Way ... which they mean to sell at
a reasonable retailing Price."[28] Jacob Isaacks of Newport, Rhode
Island, similarly advertised "a complete assortment of genuine
Medicines, with furniture for containing the same, to the amount of
about 300 pounds sterling; which medicines were purchased with cash,
and will be sold, at the prime cost and charges, without any advance.
Any of the lawful or Continental bills now current will be taken in
pay for the above medicines."[29]

Drug supplies also were quite adequate in Boston during the British
occupation. Sylvester Gardiner at "The Sign of the Unicorn and Mortar
in Marlborow Street" reported that "all kinds of the best and
freshest drugs and medicines ... are continued to be sold as usual."
However a cautionary note was added that drugs and medicines had been
"constantly imported every fall and spring to June last." Implicit in
the advertising is the suggestion that the se