The type of latch or
key on a surgical set can sometimes be used to indicated approximate date of
manufacture.
Civil War Hospital
Department and military cases typically do not have keyed locks (central
escutcheon), but rather bilateral sliding inlayed locks which were necessary in war
time to avoid lost keys. Sets with both sliding latches and a central
keyed lock exist, as do single sliding latches, but they are the exception.
Typically Civil War
contract surgical cases were made of mahogany wood, not pine, walnut, or
fruitwoods.
Earlier (pre-1860)
sets frequently have both swinging latches and a key lock on the front of
the case.
How to lock and unlock
'sticky' locks on set cases
Examples:
|
Swinging type latch
Typical of early American, English, and
European sets pre-1860 |
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|
Key escutcheon and keys, from
different makers, used on civilian sets through out the 1800's |
 |
|
Military inlayed sliding
brass latches, two
types from different makers, typical of the U.S. Army Military and
Hospital Departments through out the 1800's. A major
indication of Civil War issue during the Civil War, but also seen
during the Mexican War.
At the bottom
is an 1880's non-military surface mounted plated sliding latch which
is not Civil War era by any stretch of the imagination. |
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|
Swinging latches and central
key escutcheon typical pre-1860 |
 |
|
Civil War style military set with bilateral
sliding all brass latches |
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|
Central key escutcheon typical
of civilian surgery sets |
 |
|
Post 1880, non-military,
non-Civil War cherry case with sliding latches |
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