rmacopoeia_.
Peruvian bark, jalap, ipecac, camphor, opium, cantharides--these are
the drugs which the American army physicians wanted, and these
constituted the most serious shortage problems.

The medical supply problem was placed on relatively firm ground by the
summer of 1778, having been established on the principles proven in
the Northern Department under the guidance of Drs. Potts and Craigie.
Furthermore, the turning point in the war had been reached. Even
before Washington's forces went into winter quarters at Valley Forge,
Burgoyne[153] had surrendered at Saratoga, on October 17, 1777; and,
before the cold bleak winter at Valley Forge was over, the treaty of
French alliance was signed on February 6, 1778. The torments at Valley
Forge proved to be the birth of a new Continental Army.

The War was still a long way from being over, and a variety of
problems were yet to face the Continental Army. Inflation was yet to
deal its hardest blow to the supply problem, but not even this could
produce the chaos of 1776. The worst of the drug supply problem was
over.

Contents of Army Medicine Chests

The following listing is an example of the contents of medicine chests
ordered by the Continental Congress. The chest for the Pennsylvania
4th Battalion was filled for "Samuel Kennedy Surgeon" by the pharmacy
of Christopher Jr. and Charles Marshall of Philadelphia in May 1776.
The medicines are listed on an invoice in the Marshalls' waste book in
the possession of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The contents
of the Northern Department chest, compiled in the Northern
Department's "Medicinal Store" for "Thos. Tillotson Esq. Surgeon &
Physician General to the Army," probably was filled by Andrew Craigie
at Fort George in 1778. (_Italics_ denote capital article; asterisk
indicates that the drug is mentioned in _Lititz Pharmacopoeia_.
Contemporary English names are in parentheses following the Latin
listings.)

Pennsylvania Northern
4th Battalion Department
Chest Chest
BOTANICALS

*_Cort[ex] Peruv[ianum]_
(Peruvian bark; Jesuits' bark; or bark) 4 lb.
*_Pulv[is] Cort[icis] Peruv[iani]_
(Powdered Peruvian bark) 2 lb. Opt.; 6 lb.