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Up for sale is an amazing Civil War Era Minor Operating Doctors Kit that was made by Snowden & Bro of Philadelphia. This was the type of surgical kit that was used by both Union and Confederate Doctors during the Civil War.
There is no way to know for certain whether a Snowden & Bro Surgical Kit from the Civil War Era was actually used in the Civil War unless it was one of the ones ordered by the U.S. Army, which this is not, without providence for the set in addition to the actual set. However, Snowden & Bro kits can be easily identified as being from the Civil War Era by the instruments included in the kit, the wood velvet lined box they came in, the latches on the box and how Snowden & Bro is referenced.
This kit has all the indicia of being a Civil War Era set given the instruments, rubber handles, velvet lined wood box, latches on the box and the mark inside box of \"SNOWDEN & BRO MANUFACTURERS PHILAD\".
Snowden & Bro was considered one of the premier medical instrument manufacturers of the 1860\'s and their surgical kits were purchased by State militias, individual doctors and the U.S. Army. Unfortunately, very few have survived due to the rubber and ivory handles that were used that could not be sanitized by heat. They were therefore discarded by doctors shortly after the civil war when the need for sanitizationwas better understood.
Most information about Snowden & Bro kits comes from the 1860 catalog which you can find in google on-line books for free. On page 18 of that catalog are the Minor Operating Kits like this one. This exact one is not listed meaning this probably was sold sometime after 1860 during the Civil War Era.
The upper tray of this kit has 9 instruments including scalpels, probes and other knives and instruments. Each is marked Snowden. The lower level has forceps, scissors, tweezers and anotherinstrument I do not know the name of. They are not marked Snowden but fit perfectly into their slots. All instruments resemble the ones shown in the 1860 catalog. There is a bag with metal hooks and other sharp metal pieces and a loose instrument that I believe would have been used for stitches. I believe all of the instruments are original to the kit. I do not believe that anything is missing but note that the only thing in the top slot of the lower portion is the bag of metal stitching items and an small related instrument. I don\'t think anything else, except maybe sutures, was supposed to be there but no way to know for sure. All other slots in the bottom part are form fitted.
The instruments are used and may have various wear and/or damage. The box they come in has wear and is missing one loop for one of the two latches to keep it closed.
SOLD AS IS WITHOUT REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY AS TO CONDITION OR COMPLETENESS DUE TO AGE. NO PARTIAL REFUNDS OR RETURNS.
Please see pictures for condition as they are part of the description.
Please contact us with any questions.