late 1700s to early 1800s American Bottle: glass, ink on paper label, cotton string, white powder [mercurous chloride?]; syringe: pewter, wood Bottle: L 3, DIAM 7/8; syringe: L 8-5/8 (plunger in), DIAM 1-1/2 Mütter Museum, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 17837.86, 17090.52 Lewis took the precaution of bringing the standard remedies for venereal disease, and he began treating the men in January 1805. Calomel, or mercurous chloride, was a tasteless powder used primarily as a purgative. Incorporated into a salve, it was used to treat syphilis by applying it directly to lesions. Lewis was confident of its efficacy, writing in 1806, "I cured him [Goodrich] as I did Gibson last winter by the uce of mercury." It almost certainly had little effect: the "cures" were natural remissions.

When venereal disease resulted in urinary blockage, standard treatment called for irrigation of the urethra with a caustic solution and lukewarm water. On Lewis's list of requirements for the medical equipment of the Corps were "4 Pewter Penis Syringes" to perform this operation. He bought them from the Philadelphia druggists Gillaspy & Strong for a dollar total.