Civil War curved Medical Canteen, as in museums and books

This is another nice piece being offered, it is a Civil War Medical Canteen. It is curve-shaped and measures 8” x 6” x 1 ¼”. It is made of tin and has a period hard rubber cork and curved handle. The purpose of this type of canteen was like an early hot water bottle, it would be placed on a soldier’s stomach to help with abdominal discomfort.

Diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid fever, and food poisoning with bacteria, such as Salmonella, are direct consequences of unsanitary practices. For those spared childhood infections or those associated with poor hygiene, malaria could be counted on to cause dangerous fevers and liver disease whenever stagnant water abounded.

The deadliest issue that faced the Civil War soldier was disease. For every soldier who died in battle, two died of disease. In particular, intestinal complaints such as dysentery and diarrhea claimed many lives. In fact, diarrhea and dysentery alone claimed more men than did battle wounds. In the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA, there is an identical example of this canteen (see pictures).

In my book “The Civil War Canteen – Third Edition”, I show an example of this canteen (see pictures). It is in nice condition with no rust and would make a great addition to a Civil War Medical collection or just about any Civil War collection.