September 2013 – Artifact of the Month

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Health and Well-Being in 19th Century Fishtown

Archaeologists recently recovered a range of medical-related artifacts in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. The items were discovered in the vicinity of I-95 during excavations undertaken on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Two of the artifacts are shown here–a glass Cushman’s Menthol Inhaler tube and a white metal syringe. These were recovered by archaeologists from URS Corporation. The syringe dates to the middle of the nineteenth century, while the inhaler dates to the mid-to-late 1880s.

The inhaler is shown here alongside a contemporary trade, or advertising, card.

Contributed by Rebecca White of URS Corporation.

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