Forwarded on his behalf.
> ----------------------------
> As museum professionals, it is important to preserve the artifact.  It
> would be tragic that if the only thing that gets preserved from our
> pharmaceutical history are empty jars.  While I understand peoples concern
> about safety of staff and other collections, the general rule of
> historical pharmaceuticals is that they are safe and stable, unless taken
> internally.  Like most artifacts, store them in a cool dry location.  I
> would encourage anybody to discuss concerns that they may have with a
> pharmacisist or a chemist.  You might want to consult the following
> reference:
>
> 1: Kondratas R.
> The preservation and disposition of hazardous substances and controlled
> drugs in museum collections.
> Caduceus. 1991 Autumn;7(2):55-62. No abstract available.
> PMID: 1756404 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
>
> Most pharmaceuticals are not worth worrying over, with a couple of
> exceptions:
>
> Ether/Chloroform (anesthetic) -will become a high explosive if allowed to
> crystallize.  I encourage anyone who has this to dispose of the liquid.
> If it is stored in a sealed glass ampoule, it is not a problem.  The
> concern is evaporation.
>
> Schedule I and II drugs . (morophine opium etc.)  These drugs are
> extremely stable, however there are serious legal considerations that the
> museum has to consider.  The drugs need to be secured and the museum needs
> to careful about putting on display or loaning to another institution.
> Consult legal counsel and review the Controlled Substances Act about these
> drugs on the Food and Drug Administration website:
> http://www.fda.gov/opacom/laws/cntrlsub/ctlsbtoc.htm
>
> For more information on pharmaceuticals, consult the American Institute of
> the History of Pharmacy website at http://www.pharmacy.wisc.edu/aihp/
>
> I encourage anyone on this listserve with medical collections to join the
> Medical Museums Association
> http://www.cwru.edu/affil/MeMA/memahome.htm
>
> Alan Hawk
> Historical Collections
> National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP
> Bldg 54, Walter Reed Army Medical Center
> Washington, DC  20306-6000
> phone: 202.782.2205 fax: 202.782.3573
> [log in to unmask]
>
>

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