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 somewere 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 repacked 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
This Medical Kit C is in storage at a local Emergency Management Office
and not part of my collection. 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. Click thumbnail
photo below to see a larger photo of the expiration dates. The dates on
this kit are September 1967. The date on the end of the box in 3/63 so that
would be a 4 and a half year shelf life for the Penicillin, Phenobarbital
and Sulfadiazine tablets in the kit. As far as I know there was never an
effort made to replace the medicines after they expired.Click photos to see larger.
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Inside
the Medical Kit C All the same items found in the Medical Kit A but more.
Click photo to see larger.
Was there a Medical Kit B?
It's safe to assume that in original shelter supply planning there was most likely a Medical Kit B since there was a Medical Kit A and Kit C. I assume that the supply planners decided there was no need for a Medical Kit B which obviously would have been somewhere between a Kit A and Kit C in size. I don't have any documentation in my collection referring to a Medical Kit B ever being produced or ever being issued to shelters.
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) | |
| Asprin Tablet (bottle of 500) | 1 | - | |
| Asprin 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 | |
| Phenobarbitol Tablet (bottle of 500) | 1 | - | |
| Phenobarbitol 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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