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WW1 Medical Items


leon21

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Found this little booklet from c 1899 / 1900 interesting adverts inside ;)

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  • 5 years later...

Ambulance Work Booklet 1912

Here's an interesting little book produced for Lecturers and students.

I wonder how many students put these skills to good use on the battlefield during WW1.

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  • 1 year later...

I have an interest in WW1 Medical items. I will post some of my items, hoping to see other items posted as well. Thanks for your interest.

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First up I have a WW1 US Medical Officers belt, dated Jan 1918 made by Mills. So from left to right, medical diagnostic tag book dated 1917. Next is the large needle case with felt cover. This kit contains 6 vials of medicine that can be used by injection, along with the hypodermic needle assembly and spare needles. The small metal case that goes in the same pocket contains extra needle attachments. The instrument case is next, which contains basic items needed to perform battle triage (larger kits were used in surgical areas), this one contains the paper copy of what was required in the kit, which in itself is quite rare. The paper slip also shows the items and quantity for the medicine case (5 black bottles) and a pencil for the tag book.  The 2 bottles are for ammonia, however only one was carried (just showing the 2 versions used for display purposes). Along with the ammonia bottle, is the aluminum cup, which is often missing from these kits and is quite rare and expensive. The medicine box on the right contains 5 different types of medicine used (tablet form), in which one vial is still full. Above the pills is a thermometer. This is probably one of the most complete kits you will see. 

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Listed here is a US Model 1904 Hospital Corps Knife (bolo). These knives were made by Springfield Arsenal between 1904-1915, with nearly 40,000 units produced. The scabbard was made by Rock Island Arsenal, which originally had a leather belt loop to attach to the belt, in 1909 this was changed to a metal attachment to secure to the wearers belt (as this one is). This was only issued to medical personnel and was standard issue in WW1. This knife was not intended for combat, but i'm sure some enterprising young men got their hands on it. It is a very well made and heavy knife, with the blade length at 12 inches. 

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Here is a WW1 US Apothecary Kit. This kit contained 20 Tubes for medicine in pill form, these were usually affixed with paper labels.  

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This is a WW1 US Medical Officers Pocket Case, model of 1911, this particular case is a very early one, dated 1915. Most you see are from 1917-1918. This one is complete with the instruments as well as needles. This case is larger than the size carried in the officer belts. 

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Here is a WW1 US Haemostatic Forcep kit. It came in this box, don't know if the box is what they came in, but it fits perfectly. I got this kit along with a bunch of other WW1 Medical gear from a long time collector. This kit is dated 1917 and is complete. 

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Here is a WW1 US Medical First Aid training kit. These were to be used in a training environment. Kit dated 1917, contained 2 bandages. Instructions for use were located on the back of the box. These kits were meant to be reused as well. 

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Very unusual items Gildwiller and excellent condition too  :thumbsup:

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Thanks! I figured if I will collect them, best to get it in pristine condition if possible.

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Here is a WW1 US Medical Officers Comfort/Morale Bag. The stenciling on the bag is pretty self-explanatory. Inside I have 8 packs of WW1 Era Durham tobacco and rolling papers (common in my location). I also have included some repro candy bars and gum as finding real stuff is virtually impossible. 

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Here are some first aid kits for individual WW1 US Soldiers. These were carried in small web pouches that connected to the ammo and pistol belts, the first few are those encapsulated in metal tins, the last are more simple versions wrapped in paper. 

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Here is a book I recently acquired, a 1918 dated manual for Splints for the use of the US Medical Department, 174 pages. Inside the cover it has been personalized to a Lieutenant in the 1st Army corps. Lots if information and illustrations, I got this manual with a small grouping of medical books and equipment, all of it in excellent shape. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here is a private purchase WW1 US Army Medical Corps Captain Tunic and Side Cap. The tunic is a much finer wool quality than the enlisted versions, with a full liner, additionally it has the cellulose based "vegetable" buttons rather than the blackened steel types. There are no tags or markings, another interesting feature is that the sleeves are missing the officer braiding, again, which was not all that uncommon on private purchase tunics, however Officers sometimes wore enlisted tunics (with officer insignia) to blend in better and not become a visible target. The Tunic also has the famous Sam Browne belt which became all the rage with allied officer corps. The side cap has the medical corps braiding of maroon and white, with a smaller cap sized Captain insignia. There is a tag but the ink has faded to where it's impossible to read it. There are no service/wound stripes or overseas chevrons, so I'm guessing this is a very late war tunic or perhaps a walking out or replacement. Still an interesting example of what the troops were wearing. 

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Here is a WW1 Era US service manual for Sanitary Troops (medical orderlies). This manual is a corrected version of the 1914 version to meet the 1917 specifications. This particular manual was in training camp library, in one of the 32 basic training camps to prepare the troops for overseas combat. This manual had everything from drill and marching to physical training to litter carrying and first aid. In the picture where the troops are lifting the litter over a wall you can see the medical corps bolo on the soldier in the foreground. Most of the pictures are showing gear that was pre-WW1 era, although outdated by 1917/1918 standards much of it was still used until newer stock was available. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here is another interesting item, a Antitetanic Serum Box dated May or March 11, 2015. Antitetanic Serum was used to treat or alleviate muscular contractions. It was also used to treat Tetanus. 

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  • 3 months later...

New item, 1917 dated US Red Cross bandage still sealed in original container.

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Another new item, Listerine bottle from late 1800's to 1920, most likely around 1914. This is something that may have been in the military dental kits, but not on the average individual soldiers. 

Listerine, named for Sir Joseph Lister, founder of the practice of antiseptic medicine, was first formulated in St. Louis, MO in 1879 by Dr. Joseph Lawrence and Jordan Wheat Lambert. Lambert's Pharmacal Co. later merged with the William R. Warner Company. Lambert's son, Gerald Barnes Lambert became Lambert-Warner's president in 1923. In his five years as the head of the firm, Listerine's profits increased 60 times. The success was largely due to Lambert's memorable advertising campaigns, most notably the reinvention of bad breath as the medical condition "halitosis" and the resultant social fears it inspired. While used today primarily as a mouthwash for oral health and hygiene, it has been sold as a surgical disinfectant, a cure for dandruff, a floor cleaner, a hair tonic, a deodorant, and as a "beneficial remedy" for diseases ranging from diphtheria and dysentery to small pox and gonorrhea.

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  • 5 months later...

Here is a WW1 era Stonebridge folding lantern. It was made from galvanized steel, and had mica panes for windows, and candles were used for light. These are not an uncommon sight for US troops in the dugouts and behind the lines areas, however there is a medical version. The medical caduceus can be found on the top left corner of lanterns made specifically for the US Medical Corps, patented in 1908. These lanterns were carried in the medical orderly pouch and is listed on the inventory on the inside flap, shown below. Typical Stonebridge lanterns are still very easy to find, however finding one with intact mica windows is getting hard, the medical versions are much rarer to find today. 

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Medical version on the left shown next to a aluminum version.

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Aluminum versions plate info

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Medical version plate info

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Close up of the medical version.

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Bottom of lantern where the candles were positioned. 

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Here is a WW1 era US stretcher, with oak poles and a khaki colored canvas material for the stretcher bed. The stretcher has two leather retaining straps to hold it closed when not in use. The four cast iron legs and locking bars are quite heavy duty, the stretcher also had 2 cross straps used to secure the patient. This stretcher does not have those straps at present. 

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