Medical Supply and First Aid
All warring nations faced the challenge of providing rapid treatment in the field. Initial care focused on stopping bleeding, preventing infection, treating pain and shock, providing warmth and nourishment, and immobilizing fractures for safe transport to the next level of care. Medical supplies had to be easy to apply and transport. Tracking wounded soldiers was equally important—the medical record-keeping began with diagnosis tags attached to soldiers at the time of initial treatment.
German medical orderly’s belt, around 1917
The belt includes sterile bandages, medicines for pain and digestive relief, antiseptics, needles, and soap.
U.S. Hospital Corps belt, 1917
The medical belt included pockets for sterile dressing packets, iodine swabs, and antiseptic gauze. The corpsmen often carried an extra canteen of water for wounded soldiers.
Medical backpack, Turkish Army, 1914–1918
The Turkish Army used the Red Crescent symbol to signify medical services on the battlefield. The Ottoman Empire introduced the symbol in the 1870s as a Muslim alternate to the Red Cross symbol.
Gift of the Government of Turkey
Medical chest for first-aid ambulance, Italian, around 1916
The chest includes sterile bandages, splints, morphine, antiseptics, and diagnostic tags.
U.S. Army First Aid Packet, 1916
Every soldier carried a small first-aid packet with two sterile bandages. The American packet was in a protective metal case. Many wounds required larger dressings such as the Front Line Parcel (American Red Cross) and Shell Dressing (British).
Gift of Mary G. N. and Whitney Ashbridge
Front Line Parcel No.1
Introduced by a British orthopedic surgeon, the Thomas splint immobilized fractures of the femur (upper leg) and greatly reduced fatalities from shock and hemorrhage.
Gift of William P. Evans
Diagnosis tags, U.S. Medical Department, 1916–1918
Medical staff recorded initial diagnoses and treatments on tags attached to a soldier’s jacket. The dark blue border, when left attached to the tag, indicated that the patient was unable to walk.
