Washington's forces were defeated at Brandywine on September 11, 1777,
and on September 25 the British army occupied Philadelphia.
Washington, after trying without success to dislodge them by a sudden
attack at Germantown on October 4, retreated to Valley Forge.
Business in Philadelphia under British occupation continued much as it
had under American control, except for a few missing suppliers and a
few new ones. One druggist who was little in evidence after the war
commenced was back in business advertising within two weeks after the
British occupied Philadelphia. It was William Drewet Smith (not to be
confused with William Smith) who advised "friends and customers ...
that they can be supplied with Medicine and Drugs as usual, at his
shop in Second-Street." To indicate that he was expecting an active
business, Smith also advertised for "a person who can be well
recommended for honesty and sobriety ... to attend a Druggist's
Shop."[125]
[Illustration: Figure 3.--Page from the Waste Book manuscript of the
Christopher Marshall, Jr., and Charles Marshall apothecary shop in
Philadelphia. This is the first page of the contents of a medicine
chest furnished on order of the Continental Congress for the
Pennsylvania 4th Battalion. Preserved at the Historical Society of
Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.]
[Illustration: Figure 4.--Page from the ledger of the Greenleaf
apothecary shop in Boston, showing the accounts between September 3,
1776, and May 28, 1777, with "the United American States" for
outfitting ships of the Continental Navy. Preserved at the American
Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.]
During the British occupation there was a large number of thefts and
losses--perhaps aided by the American patriots who remained in
Philadelphia--that included drugs and surgical instruments. In
November an advertisement reported the loss of "a sett of Surgeons
Pocket instruments in a crimson chequered covering, with a silver
clasp. Whoever will bring them to the bar of the coffee-house or to
Mr. Allman, surgeons mate of the Royal Artillery, shall have a Guinea
reward, and no questions asked." In April an unidentified druggist
advertised: "Stolen yesterday afternoon out of an apothecary's shop
Three Specie Glasses, with brass caps; one contained two pounds of
native cinnabar. Whoever discovers the thief and goods shall have
Twenty Shillings reward from the printer."[126]
A sign of the times is evident from the advertisement by Dr. Anthony
Yeldall, who offered his "Anti-Venereal Essence at only Two Dollars."
This nostrum, it was claimed, would not only cure the disease, but
would "absolutely prevent catching the infection." Each bottle came
with printed instructions "so that no questions need be asked." The
fact that the advertisement appeared no less than 10 times from
January through April speaks for its success.[127] It is interesting
to note that, after the British evacuated Philadelphia, "Anthony
Yeldall, Surgeon, late of the city of Philadelphia," was included
among those who were charged as having "knowingly and willingly aided
and assisted the enemies" and who would be brought to trial for high
treason.[128]
While the British forces rested, well nourished, warm, and relatively
secure in Philadelphia, Washington's troops, hardly more than 20 miles
away, were tortured by cold, hunger, and disease. On December 23 there
were 2,898 men at Valley Forge reported sick or unfit for duty because
of lack of clothing.[129] Even so, the lack of medical supplies was
nowhere near as bad as the conditions that existed in '76. Under the
command of Director General Shippen and Purveyor General Potts,[130]
the medical department operated a series of hospitals in such
Pennsylvania communities as Easton, Bethlehem, Lancaster, Ephrata, and
Lititz. The principal hospital for Valley Forge was established 10
miles away at Yellow Springs (now Chester Springs).
The largest drain on medical supplies appears not to have been during
the height of winter but rather in the early spring when the medicine
chests of various regiments and hospitals were being restocked for the
expected spring offensive. The first step was to supplement the supply
of medical supplies on hand. In late February or early March, Dr.
William Brown sent Purveyor General Potts a list of needs of the
entire medical department that included L20,000 worth of medicines,
vials, corks, etc.[131] Dr. Brown supplemented this list with a letter
to Potts dated March 11 in which he itemized the following
equipment:[132]
3 doz. Boxes Small Apothecary's Weights & Scales
3 doz. Bolus knives
3 doz. Pot Spathulae
2 doz. Marble Mortars, of one pint, & Pestles
2 doz. Setts Measures, from 1/2 ounce to 1 [pint?]
6 doz. Earthen Vessels (deep) with handles--of different
sizes, from 2 quarts to 2 galls, for boiling Decoctions, or
2 doz. copper Do. of one gallon--for that purpose.
6 doz. Delft Ware Tiles, for mixing Boluses &c. on.
While Dr. Brown was completing his report on medical supplies, he was
also concluding his compilation of an emergency military hospital
formulary which has become known as the _Lititz Pharmacopoeia_, so
named because Brown was making Lititz his headquarters at the time.
The preface is dated "Lititz, March 12, 1778." The actual title
(translated from Latin) reads: "Formulary of simple and yet
efficacious remedies for the use of the military hospital, belonging
to the army of the Federated States of America. Especially adapted to
our poverty and straitened circumstances, caused by the ferocious
inhumanity of the enemy, and the cruel war unexpectedly brought upon
our fatherland." This formulary was published by Styner & Cist of
Philadelphia in 1778, which means that it was not actually printed
until sometime after June 18, when the British evacuated Philadelphia.
In the preface Brown explained that there were two types of formulas
contained in the _Lititz Pharmacopoeia_; one was the "medicaments
which must be prepared and compounded in a general laboratory; the
others are to be mixed, as needed, in our hospital dispensaries."
The main store of drugs was housed at Manheim until late March, when
Shippen ordered Apothecary Cutting to pack the medical stores there
and proceed on to Yellow Springs.[133] Cutting wrote Potts on March 30
that
... the articles that we have in store are now ready to put on
board the waggons excepting the want of cases to contain them....
Paper, Twine, Square Snuff Bottles & Corks are so essentially
necessary to take with us, to fit up the Regimental Chests that I
wish your order to buy them at Lancaster immediately. I never heard
what place in the vicinity of Camp has been chosen for our
temporary Medicine Shop, nor what quantities the Regimental
Surgeons are to be supply'd when we get there....[134]