Historically, specially treated cases of linen in which a charge of powder and shot for firearms is made up. These were developed in 1852 by American inventor Christian Sharps as part of his Sharps rifle. The added strength of the linen cartridge was an improvement on paper cartridges. The rear of the linen cartridge had flash paper attached for ignition. The linen used was treated with starch for stiffness and other chemicals to make the linen more combustible.
