AN IMPROVED CARTOUCH CASE OR PORTABLE ARRANGEMENT OF MATERIALS FOR DRESSING WOUNDS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Patent Office, 0, Lord
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED CARTOUCH CASE OR PORTABLE ARRANGEMENT
OF MATERIALS FOR DRESSING WOUNDS." A communication from abroad by
Léon Kins of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
Sealed the 21st November 1876, and dated the 24th May 187(
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1876.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Patent Office, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer. "AN IMPROVED CARTOUCH CASE
OR PORTABLE ARRANGEMENT OF MATERIALS FOR DRESSING WOUNDS."
The object of this Invention is to afford to wounded soldiers on the field of battle,
travellers, and others an immediate succour which can be applied by the wounded
himself, and thus enable him to wait the arrival of a doctor or surgeon.
This cartouch is composed of a tube that can shut up of pasteboard or other
suitable material capable of acting as a dressing for wounds. A piece or strip of
amadou, a strip of cloth or other fabric covered with a peculiar ointment, a safety
pin, waxed thread, a corded band or tape, and several pins. The cartouch is
covered with a gummed label, at the extremities of which are gummed two
badges of the red cross. To get at the contents it is only requisite to press one of
these badges with the finger, as if one wished to introduce it into the cartouch, to
cause the contents to fall out. It will thus be seen at once that it is very easy
to open it, and the wounded man can himself extract the contents; the total weight
of the cartouch does not exceed one to two ounces. Its dimensions are about three
inches long by one inch in diameter. It can be put into the pocket or the ordinary
cartouch box without being an incumbrance in any way.
The employment of this cartouch will be of incontestible utility to armies in the
field, hunters, travellers, physicians, et cetera, and cannot be too highly recom-
mended.
The receptacle instead of being a cylinder of pasteboard can be of other shape
and material to suit circumstances, and the contents can be indefinitely varied, yet
still embrace the essential principle of my Invention, a packet of materials used
for stanching and dressing wounds, made up in the most compact manner for
carrying about the person when going into battle or hasardous places.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1876.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Patent Office, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer. "AN LMPROVED CARTOUCH CASE
OR PORTABLE ARRANGEMENT OF MATERIALS FOR DRESSING WOUNDS." A commu-
nication from abroad by Léon Kips, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
The object of this Invention is to afford to wounded soldiers on the field of battle,
to travellers, and others an immediate succor which can be applied by the wounded
themselves, and thus enable them to await the arrival of a doctor or a surgeon whose
skilful aid night otherwise be applied too late to prevent serious evils or in many
cases to save the life of the patient.
The Invention consists in a tube of pasteboard or other suitable material
containing materials and implements for dressing wounds packed therein in such
manner that when the ends of the tube are closed by paper or other suitable flexible
material the pressure of the finger upon either of the closed ends and the insertion of
the finger therein will rupture both ends and thrust out the contents, which are so
arranged that when thrust out as described they may with great facility and con-
venience be applied to closing wounds, stopping the flow of blood, and affording
immediate relief to the wounded.
Figure 1 in the accompanying Drawing represents the complete cartouch. Fig. 2
represents the same with a portion of the shell broken away to show the inclosed
contents; Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively represent different articles inclosed
in the case.
The cartouch contains a lump of amadou (penghauar yambi) enclosed in a cloth
capsule, Fig. 8 of the design, a plaster 2, Fig. 4, consisting of a strip of cloth or other
fabric covered with Phoenix ointment ("onguent au plienique") in other words
phoenix adhesive plaster, a safety pin 8, Fig. 5, waxed thread t, Fig. S, a coiled
band or tapo l, Fig. 7, several pins h, Fig. 6, and a bandage b, Fig. 3.
These materials are those principally necessary for the first dressing of wounds,
but other articles may also be enclosed. These materials are packed in the case,
Fig. 1 and 2, preferably in the following manner :-The plaster p, Fig. 4, is laid with
the side on which the ointment or salve is spread downward upon the bandage b,
Fig. 3. The safety pin s, Fig. 5, and the pins h, Fig. 6, are then thrust into the
texture of the bandage transversely, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2, and the
pins, plaster, and bandage are then rolled into a compact roll r, Fig. 2. The amadou
a, Fig. 8, is then rolled in a compact roll 71, Fig. 2, and the tape or band is also
rolled into a compact roll 11, Fig. 2. The roll 7, Fig. 2, is thrust into the case c, Figs. 1.
and 2, said case being of a sufficient length to receive also the rolls 1, 2, which arc
The ends of the case c
preferably placed in said case at opposite ends of the roll r.
are then closed, the thread being wound round one of the end blanks, the contents
of the case covered by gummed paper labels or labels of other thin and easily
ruptured material, and the cartouch then presents the appearance shown in Fig. 1.
To get at the contents of the cartouch it is only necessary to press with a finger
upon one of the ends and thrust the finger into the case, which will break in the
label at the end so pressed upon and thrust out the contents of the case at the opposite
end. By this means a wounded man may easily get at the contents of the cartouch,
and may apply them as follows:-First he may stop the flow of blood by the appli-
cation of the amadou and leave it if necessary upon the wound. He may then apply
the plaster, cover it with the bandage and fasten the bandage with the safety pin.
The tape or band may be used to support a fractured bone to assist in arresting
hemorrhage or aid in fastening on the bandage. The pins may then be inserted
in his coat sleeve or lapel, and the waxed thread wound about them, or about a
button of the coat for the surgeon's use should he need them on his arrival.
The total weight of the cartouch with its contents does not exceed two ounces. It
is about three inches in length and one inch in diameter. It can be carried in the

page_text: pocket or in the ordinary cartridge box without being an incumbrance in any way.
The peculiar arrangement of the articles in the case c may be varied and does not
form any feature of my Invention. I therefore do not confine myself to such
arrangement.
Having now described my Invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim as my Invention any
of the articles enumerated in this Specification separately, nor yet their separate
application for surgical purposes, but what I believe to be new and desire to claim
under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination of surgical
apparatus in a portable case, substantially as and for the purposes herein described,
irrespective of whether the exact articles or the exact arrangement herein described
be adhered to or a mere modification thereof be adopted, such as altered circumstances,
or the march of science may render advisable.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our
Lord 1876
Witness.
C. H. COLTON.
Patent Office,
6, Lord Street,
Liverpool.
W. P. THOMPSON. (L.S.)