Life Raft First Aid Kit with FOUR full Morphine Syrettes

[rambob]

For many years I have lacked one item for my first aid collection that I really wanted and needed. This was a Morphine syrette in reasonable condition. But I didn’t want to pay the $125+ that even the ratty examples were bringing on the militaria market. The problem is that most examples have been squeezed, cut or mutilated to get the “happy juice” out of them to make them “legal”. Removing the juice is probably a good idea for two reasons. The first is that some overzealous cop or DEA agent among the people viewing your first aid collection on display may decide to arrest you for drug possession. The second reason to remove the juice is that it has a tendency to soften the material used for the squeeze tube and eat the syrette out from the inside.

 

With all of that said, I have been trolling Ebay for many years looking for first aid kits with the syrettes contained in them. Unfortunately, the kits that have the words Morphine or Syrette in the title or description are fair game for the “More Money than Brains” and Sniper individuals on EPay. So I basically spent dozens of hours intently looking at ALL first aid kit photos looking for those examples with the syrettes in them but not advertised in the auction. Well this technique hit major pay dirt when I just scored a USN Life Raft first aid kit with the issued unopened box of four Morphine Syrettes still in it. I got the kit for a grand sum of $119 including shipping!!

 

The syrettes were contained in a small yellow box with the tax stamp at one end. Luckily, by keeping the one end of the box pressed shut and slightly prying the other end open I was able to retrieve my prizes, without tearing the tax stamp. Four full Morphine Syrettes, absolutely mint and never having been touched since the day they were packed in that little box. After I caught my breath, I realized that I had a dilemma because in this part of my life, I didn’t want to end up in the slammer because of these little gems. But how could I de-juice them without damaging them and without it showing??

 

Here is the method I used and of which I am very proud. I took an Xacto hobby knife with a brand new, super sharp blade and carefully started scoring the a tiny part of the back seam of a syrette, where it was soldered together to seal it. Once I got a score line exactly in the middle of this seam, I began to gently push and rock the point of the knife, until the very tip pierced through the seam. You’ll know you are through if a tiny drop of the juice appears in the cut. Next, I took a very fine sewing needle and pushed it in increasing the size of and rounding the hole. Finally, I took the finest needle syringe I could buy, inserted it into the hole and sucked out all of the juice and disposed of it. (Interestingly, I got the syringe from my neighborhood CVS store and did not even need to sign a log book anymore.) The juice is just like perfectly clear water, but with a funky kind of smell. After the juice was removed, I took the syringe and blew air inside to force out any remnants of liquid. Lastly, I took a small jewelers screw driver and pressed the sides of the seam on either side of the hole slightly to close it back up. After you are done, it is nearly impossible to see any trace of the hole. BTW. The pictures I am posting are of the actual, emptied syrettes. What do you think??

 

In summary, it broke my heart that because of modern day “drugmania” and the ambiguous drug laws we currently have, that I had to defile these WWII relics due to the fear of legal problems. IMHO. Anyone who would take a $125+ syrette and inject 60+ old liquid into their bodies, to try and get a Morphine high, is an absolute Moron and maybe natural selection should come into play.

[rambob]

The front of the emptied syrettes and boxes.

[rambob]

The back of the emptied syrettes and the boxes.

[rambob]

FYI. Here is the entire Life Raft Firs Aid kit exactly as I bought it from EPay. The contents, even minus the syrettes, probably were worth what I paid for the kit.

[DocRick]

I was watching this listing but didn't have enough faith in the Gods of Collecting to dream that the MS syrettes would be full let alone even in there. You have more courage than I and I congratulate you on your score!!!

 

Doc Rick

[m1ashooter]

Isn't this like buying a controlled substance without a prescription which could lead to SWAT, ATF, DEA etc., coming to your house to review your collection.

[sgtbrown]

Isn't this like buying a controlled substance without a prescription which could lead to SWAT, ATF, DEA etc., coming to your house to review your collection.

 

Buying What controlled substance? Gotta have evidence and the tubes have been emptied of contents. Besides, they have far bigger fish to fry.

 

Tom

(retired cop)

[rambob]

Sgt Brown. Good Cop Response!! These syrettes are now just like Klingons after they die, "Merely An Empty Shell".

 

M1ashooter. OOPS!! Evidence take long trip down porcelain convenience (toilet). Or did it ever really actually exist? Who really knows?

 

DocRick. Thanks. Sorry I was a real weasel about this auction because bidding on EBay is a war zone!! I sent the seller a very cryptic question about the syrettes, without using the words syrette or morphine, so if the question was posted in the auction the keywords would still not show up. I got the terse answer that the kit was "Complete". So I stuck in a max bid of $233 and hoped for the best. Thinking if the syrettes weren't there I would be pissed, leave them flamimgly bad feedback, and only be out the value of about two syrettes. The other kit contents that were there would also help offset part of my loss. Risks do pay off occassionally and I have had pretty good luck taking them when necessary. BTW. All in all, over the years I have taken about $345 of risks trying to get the syrettes that didn't pan out. Most of it for a WWII Aeronautical First Aid kit with the lead seal still intact, but meds were missing after all. Hey Doc, why haven't we gotten together yet to show off our stuff!! I live in Independence, Ohio which is only about 30 miles from you as the crow flies. PM me for my phone number and lets's chat.

 

Lastly, I am surprised I haven't gotten an Attaboy from anyone about the clever way I defanged these evil, drug infused, syrettes. BTW. I hurt my shoulder yesterday patting myself on the back over this. Poor Rambob!!

 

Bob

[hawkdriver]

Actually, "Good Job" I have used this technique on other things in the past and it either works gloriously or disastrously. Because you did such a good job removing it, if you display these at shows, you still may get a look-see from overzealous bored people of LEO persuasion because they will see a styrette that hasn't been touched and not knowing the difference between empty and full weight.

[oldfireguy]

I've been displaying Morphine for 20+ years in different displays and places and I've never run into an issue with anyone. I would think the biggest issue you would face is someone stealing it. Maybe I've just been lucky.

 

If you don't think someone would inject 60+ old drugs into their veins trust me, they will.

[Sgt. Boghots]

Well, you get an atta boy from me, as about 25 years ago, I "defused" one of these in a similar manner so that reproductions could be made. We sold them in Shotgun News when we were finished. - Lost money, actually. More to it than it would appear, plus advertising costs.

 

At least I wound up with a couple of "dewat's" for the collection . . .

 

Best regards,

Boghots

[Survival]

Great job. I have never seen a four pack box of syrettes before. Can you add some pictures of the tourniquet/forceps box, triangular bandage box, and the boric acid box. Also the outside of the lid. Thanks

[rambob]

oldfireguy, thanks for your perspective on your many years of displaying these syrettes and idiots shooting up ancient drugs. My gut feeling is there should not have been a problem displaying these as WWII relics, but it seems logic goes out the window when the syrettes are involved. Something about the evil word Morphine and the built in needle, I guess. Look at my post and one of the first replies was a question of the legal considerations of owning "full" syrettes. One thing I did not previously mention is that two of the syrettes had tiny brown stains at their seams, where the Morphine solution was beginning to eat through. The attached image of a before view clearly shows this in the second from left and far right syrette. This ultimately drove my decision to "dewat' them, basically to save them for posterity.

 

Bob

[rambob]

Survival, Ask and ye shall receive. Contents. BTW. The 2 inch Compress cardboard boxe is wax paper and wax coated, with a pull string to open it. Something I had never seen before.

 

Bob

[rambob]

Box lid.

[rambob]

Hey Boghots! Why don't you post pictures of the reproduction syrettes you made? I would really like to see them! That was a great idea you had, but maybe a little ahead of your time back then.

 

Bob

[Survival]

I have similar kit which is probably a later version. I have not seen that exact style of kit before. The inventory on mine is quite a bit different. The inventory list in yours does not mention the syrettes. It might be possible the inventory list and some contents were transferred over from another kit. If we assume the morphine box is correct and was originally from that kit the other MSA Iodine box and Davis ammonia box are redundant. Also just off the top of my head anyway I can't recall seeing a double size box that contains a pr of forceps and tourniquet in a USN kit before. On the flip side Conway components are very common in USN kits even if not marked with a contract number. I think the Boric Acid box is redundant also. I would stick with the Tannic Acid as it matches the syrette box. Also all the kits I've seen have a small battle dressing and a box of sulfanilamide and a box of sulfadiazine. The tourniquet is in a box by itself. The MSA waxed box could be OK. Personally I would have left the syrettes alone in the box. If you ever did sell someday you could make the decision then to dump the contents.

[rambob]

Survival, Thanks for the great info about the first aid kit. I'm going to dig around a bit in my collection and see what I can do to make the kit contents more correct.

 

Bob

[ww2reproductions]

I was keeping my eye on this kit and then the rains came and destroyed our harvest and flooded our house...But its ok as I saved my militaria collection then my computer then the Bengal cats and last but not least woke the wife.

Glad it went to a good home.

Thanks for showing photos of the boxes any chance of seeing the sides and backs.

I now have a few more items to make reproductions of the Bauer & Black items.

 

Leo

[mrhell]

I've been displaying Morphine for 20+ years in different displays and places and I've never run into an issue with anyone. I would think the biggest issue you would face is someone stealing it. Maybe I've just been lucky.

 

...but all it takes is one "Do Gooder" who is a distant relative of Barney Fife with a little too much time on their hands to make trouble. Glad to hear your displays have been enjoyed for so long - as it should be. How did Ben say it? "Nothing is less common than common sense". :thumbsup: