Fallout Shelter
Medical Kits
Individual pages in
this section
1-Water Barrels
2-Food Rations
3-Sanitation Kits
4-Medical Kits
5-Radiation Kits
and Instruments
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Community Fallout Shelters were stocked with 2 different types of Medical Supply Kits. The Medical Kit-A was to supply 50-65 persons and the Medical Kit-C to supply 300-325 persons. This page contains descriptions and a contents list of each type of kit.
This Medical Kit A is from my collection. This kit was found in a storage
shed in McKinney, Texas with the remains of a Civil
Defense Packaged Disaster Hospital. This kit was probably part of a
stock in a Fallout Shelter somewhere in McKinney at one time. This medical
kit had never been opened when I found it. The tape was split, dried and
flaking off but the box had never been opened. It was kind of like opening
a time capsule when I first flipped up the box flaps. The first two thumbnail
photos below were taken as I opened the box for the first time. After going
through the kit I repackaged it as it was and resealed it with new paper-type
tape similar to what it was originally sealed with. Click photos to
see larger.
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Here are the Medical Kit A contents. The can of alcohol actually has
about half of the alcohol still in it. This is the only kit I have ever
seen with alcohol still in the can. The alcohol evaporates out of the
cans over the years. The list of contents of each type of kit is at the
bottom of this page if you want to read a detailed inventory. The big
box at the left rear of the picture is the purified cotton and the the
white package at the right rear is the package of gauze pads. The smaller
white envelope package near the gauze is the pack of cotton tipped swabs
(q-tips). Click photo to see larger.
Medical Kit C
The Medical Kit C is essentially 6 Medical Kit As in one box and was designated to supply "300-325 Shelter Occupants." This particular kit is interesting because the expiration dates for the medicines are still legible on the side of the box. All the Medical Kit A boxes I have seen have had the expiration dates marked over. I found a CD Program Guidance bulletin dated March 25, 1966 stating that the expiration dates are "misleading" and that "these dates should be disregarded and, if desired, may be obliterated." To see a PDF file of that bulletin click here. Civil Defense Program Guidance Bulletin for Civil Defense Medical Kits.
Click photos to see larger.
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Inside the Medical Kit C
All of the same items found in the Medical Kit A but more. See kit contents list below.
Click photo to see larger.
Fallout Shelter Medical Kit Contents
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Medical Kit Contents List
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| Medicines & Such | Qty Kit A (1) | Qty Kit C (2) | |
| Aspirin Tablet (bottle of 500) | 1 | - | |
| Aspirin Tablet (bottle of 1000) | - | 3 | |
| Cascara Sagrada Tablet (bottle of 100) | 1 | 6 | |
| Eugenol (1 oz. bottle) | 1 | 1 | |
| Eye & Nose Drops (1/2 oz. bottle) | 3 | 18 | |
| Isopropyl Alcohol (1 qt. can) | 1 | 6 | |
| Kaolin & Pectin Powder (40 gm. bottle) | 3 | 16 | |
| Penicillin G Tablet (bottle of 100) | 2 | 12 | |
| Petrolatum, White (1 lb. can) | 1 | 3 | |
| Phenobarbital Tablet (bottle of 500) | 1 | - | |
| Phenobarbital Tablet (bottle of 1000) | - | 3 | |
| Soap, Surgical (1-3/4 oz. cake) | 6 | 36 | |
| Sodium Bicarbonate (1 lb. can) | 1 | 2 | |
| Sodium Chloride (1 lb can) | 1 | 2 | |
| Sulfadiazine Tablet (bottle of 500) | 1 | - | |
| Sulfadiazine Tablet (bottle of 1000) | - | 3 | |
| Water Purification Tablet, [iodine] (bottle of 50) | 2 | 12 | |
| Other (Bandages etc.) | |||
| Bandage, Gauze Roller 2 in. x 6 yds. (pkg. of 12) | 1 | 6 | |
| Bandage, Muslin 37 in. x 37 in. x 52 in. (each) | 1 | 6 | |
| Purified Cotton (1 lb. pkg) | 1 | 3 | |
| Pads, Gauze, Surgical 4 in. x 4 in. (pkg. 200) | 1 | 6 | |
| Applicator, Wood, Cotton Tip End (pkg. 100) | 1 | 6 | |
| Depressor, Tongue, Wood (pkg. 100) | 1 | 3 | |
| Forceps (each) | 1 | 1 | |
| Pin, Safety 1-1/2 in. (pkg. 12) | 3 | 12 | |
| Scissors, Pocket, Straight 4 in. (each) | 1 | 3 | |
| Syringe, Fountain (each) | 1 | 1 | |
| Thermometer (each) | 1 | 4 | |
| Manual-Medical Care in Shelter | 1 | 1 | |
| (1) Kit A supplies 50-65 persons. (2) Kit C supplies 300-325 persons. |
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Was there a Medical Kit B?
I have a copy of a document that was sent to me several years ago by another CD collector. I can't remember now where he said that he found it but it's particularly interesting in that it appears to be a very early description of the supplies to be stocked in community shelters. The title of the document is "Standard Supplies For The Fallout Shelter" and it has "ANNEX E" at the bottom of each page. I thought it might be part of the Federal Civil Defense Guide but it doesn't have "FCDG" anywhere on it. The second sentence of the first paragraph of the document reads "The further development of packaging and material will cause this paper to be amended as development dictates." That reads like it's a preliminary document which was expected to be amended pretty quickly. Anyway, I mention this document here because it lists a Medical Kit B. The Medical Kit B it lists was to be for 100 persons. It also lists an A Kit and a C Kit. The reason I don't include the Medical Kit B in the contents list below is because the contents list for the medical kits in the document is a quite a bit different than what was to be the final version of the shelter medical kits seen on this page. The January 1965 Federal Civil Defense Guide Part D, Chapter 2, Appendix 1 lists the medical kit contents as seen below and doesn't mention and "B" kit so I consider that the final word on the make-up of the shelter medical kits.
