First Aid Kits

Paul Steinberg

PCS Life Member President
Staff member
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Back in the early days of ambulance service, not much was carried on the ambulances to treat the injured or sick. The ambulance crew mostly did transportation from the home to the hospital and little to no first aid was administered. Moving into the 1950's & 1960's ambulance services started to do some basic first aid, and carried first aid kits that were manufactured by companies such as Johnson & Johnson, etc. Below is a J & J First Aid Kit from 1961. It was originally sold by a drug store in Flint Michigan. I dated it from the information printed on the booklet inside the case.
 

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Paul Thanks for starting this forum, as I have many questions about what may have been in my car for equipment. When I purchased the car it had some medical equipment in it, such as metal leg splints, a vacuum splint, gauze bandages and wooden splints. The medical cabinet is not very big and I'm not even sure if it was oxygen equipped. I have the original sales brochure with the car and it shows several choices of medical cabinet, the smallest one resembling the one I have. Can anybody who worked in these ambulances back then give me some insight on what type of equipment to search for?
 
Thanks Paul, I know that is something I would need to get around to in the future - what would have been onboard equipment & supplies back in 1951/1952. I've been wondering what would have gone in the divider cabinets in my '51. I'll be watching this forum to get an idea and start looking for the items.
 
the first aid kit

Thanks Paul for the pictures of the first aid kit. I bought one of these at a garage sale. Had no idea it was possibly an item that would be correct to put in my 61 MM.
I like the idea of those in the know telling us novices what can or should be correct for us to carry in our ambulances and/or combinations. Are some of our members really old enough to remember all this?
If I have to schooled again I think this would be the place I would like to go to school.
Mike
 
If anybody wants these I think I have two of them in the garage. When I worked out of combos we had a tool kit that we used. All of my current cars carry Plano 747M kits. They are the Plano tackle box that are made for EMS use. It is the same kit only white and orange with a star of life on the drop door. My cars carry a variety of period correct to modern equipment. I have board splints, hare traction, frac pacs, but you might find an old Thomas half ring splint in there.
 
Superior had one of these kits they would put in the car for a price also I can't find my picture of it but is was a gold case with the superior crest on the face.
 
That was also the standard case that Amblewagon provided with all there ambulances.
 
Like I say I have two of those old unit boxes in the garage if anyone wants them. I have no use for them but could not justify tossing them.
 
Ron I would take one, just the thing for the Seville. I found were I hid that picture. files in files some have been set in places earlier before I had enough to set up one for that kind of thing. found it in advertising.
 

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Interesting this topic comes up now. A few days ago I bought a first aid kit from 1945 at an antique shop. I plan on putting it in my 49 S&S combo, but not sure where to mount it. It is metal, and has tabs on the top with sa hole and slot for mounting and easy removal,also a handle for carrying. It is aprox. 3 inches high, 9 inches wide and 12 inches long. It has three compartments inside, and a decal on the inside lid with some first aid tips. It even shows how to "start breathing by Prone Pressure" Manufactured by the Davis Co. It even still has supplies in it, including a 1945 first aid book, an insta aid dial card, and several unit packs, about an inch high x 2" tall x 4" long with directions on each pack. They contain a tourniquet Tannoid-for burns, Merthiolate swabs, isodine-Davis applicators, adhesive bandages,Isodine-Davis swabs, and a get this, a rectal thermometer.
 
Tube Caddy For Use As A First Aid Box

Tube caddies converted to be used as first aid boxes were popular in my area in N. CA. We purchased these from the commercial electronics supply, where TV shops would buy items for their trade. I liked what as known as the Caddy Jr., as it was small enough to hold everything I needed and not take up a lot of space in the rig. These cases were made by the Knickerbocker Company.
 

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I have a very old first aid kit that my brother found in the basement of the home he recently purchased. I suspect it is very old, unfortunately the exterior is rusted. It still has all of the original contents. I would like to paint it for use in the car. Any suggestions? I will post pictures.
 
I had to wait to do that to felt like a out cast. send one to me a least. I would not mount it. the mounts were to put it on the wall of a office. most of the time in the ambulance it would just set in a compartment. then you could take it with you. if there is no place in back, store it behind the front seat. display it on the gurney when you show the car.
 
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