Medical Supply Catalogs

Medics treat battle casualties at a Field Hospital at the beachead of Utah Beach. Casualties are being issued with Life Preserver Belts in preparation for their evacuation to England. Taken on June 11th, 1944.

The US Army produced a number of documents during and after WW2 designed to categorize and list all of the items available to the Medical Department. This short article has been produced to offer some brief information about these Medical Catalogs, and the information which they contain. This article has been produced using information found in the Medical Supply Catalog dated 1 March 1944.

Medical Supply Catalog, 1 March 1944

Illustration showing the cover to the Medical Supply Catalog of 1 March, 1944.

General:

The Army Service Forces Medical Supply Catalog lists the items that are stored and issued by the Medical Department. It establishes the official item designation for use in the preparation of requisitions, records, reports and correspondence concerning medical supplies.

Sections of the Medical Supply Catalog :

MED 1 - Introduction:
This is an explanation of all sections of the Medical Supply Catalog, including the sections published as separate pamphlets as well as those included in this volume (the Medical Supply Catalog of 1 March 1944).

MED 2 - Index:
The Index to the Medical Supply Catalog is a directory of the publications comprising the entire Medical Supply Catalog system.

MED 3 - List of Items for Troops, Posts, Camps and Stations:
This section supersedes the Classes 1 to 9 inclusive, supplements thereto, and the Index of the former Medical Department Supply Catalog.

MED 4 - Allowances of Expendable Supplies:
This section is published as a separate pamphlet and supersedes War Department Circular No. 26, Office of The Surgeon General. It prescribes the basic allowances of expendable medical supplies not otherwise authorized and supplements Tables of Equipment and Tables of Allowances for all arms and services.

MED 5 - Stock List of All Items:
No publication under this number is contemplated, as the information is contained in MED 3.

MED 6 - Sets - Small Assemblies, Kits and Chests:
This section supersedes the Appendix of the former Medical Department Supply Catalog and lists component items of sets, kits etc., issued by the Medical Department. Blank forms previously listed in the appendix are no longer included in this section. They are now listed in Section VIII, War Department Pamphlet No. 12-3, dated 24 March 1944, entitled "List of Forms Stocked by Adjutant General Depots".

MED 7 - Organizational and Higher Echelon Spare Parts:
This section is a series of pamphlets listing spare parts, replacement parts, special tools, accessories, etc., requiring frequent replacement. These parts are furnished with or are available on requisition for certain major items of equipment as authorized for each echelon of maintenance.

MED 8 - Sets - Higher Echelon Spare Parts:
No publication is contemplated under this number, as this information has been included in MED 7.

MED 9 - List of All Parts:
This section will consist of a series of pamphlets listing all component parts of selected Medical Department items. Each pamphlet will list all the parts necessary for the assemblage and maintenance of a major item, and will also indicate the authorized allowances of spare parts, tools, accessories, supplies etc., to be issued with or for the item. Illustrations will be shown to identify the parts and indicate their relation to the complete assembly.

MED 10 - Medical Department Equipment Lists:
The pamphlets in this series list the equipment of hospitals and other medical units. Because of the many items involved, it is not feasible to designate the component items in Tables of Equipment or other publications. Equipment lists for medical units of similar functions will be bound in one set, a separate set being published for each such group of units.

Army-Navy Catalog of Medical Materiel, July 1947

Illustration showing the cover to the Army-Navy Catalog of Medical Materiel, July 1947

Introduction:
This index lists the Army-Navy stock number, the former Army stock number and the former Navy stock number. The Army stock number is that published in MED 3, War Department, Medical Supply Catalog, 1 March 1944, including changes. The Navy stock number is that published in the Catalog of Navy Materiel, BuMed Section, July 1946 Edition.

Distribution of the Medical Supply Catalog:

The initial distribution of Catalogs and Catalog Changes to units and installations will be automatic, in accordance with The Adjutant General's standard procedure. Additional copies of the of the Catalog and its components will be requisitioned as required from The Adjutant General in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 4, AR 310-200 and not, as in the past, from the St. Louis Medical Depot.

Instructions for the Use of Equipment Lists will be issued automatically to all units entitled to any pamphlet in the MED 10 Series.

Explanation and use of MED 3:

The section MED 3, "List of Items for Troops, Posts, Camps and Stations," supersedes that portion of the former Medical Department Supply Catalog comprising Classes 1 through 9 inclusive, Supplements thereto, and the index. It will be observed that in effecting this change in the catalog system, some deviations from previous arrangement have been adopted, notably cited below:

The supplemental drug items formerly listed in Class 1K and the biological stains formerly numbered from 15200 to 15440, inclusive, have been renumbered as Class 1 or Class 9 items and placed in proper alphabetical sequence.

The items formerly designated as "Issue While in Stock" and catalogued in a separate section have either been deleted by publication of official catalog changes or reclassified and reinstated in numerical order.

Remark:
We have been able to assess that some recorded changes and/or modifications in the Catalog contents, were dated 7 June 1943, 16 January 1944, and 31 August 1944 respectively...