Royal Army Medical Corps surgical kit, 1939-1945 (c)

White canvas case, manufactured by Philip Harris and Company Limited, Birmingham.

A C D Parsons, who served with the Royal Army Medical Corps, used this surgical kit during the World War Two (1939-1945).

The surgical instruments are all made of steel so that they can be boiled and sterilised to kill germs. They also have detachable parts so that they can be thoroughly cleaned. The kit contains surgical scissors, a series of forceps, including haemostatic forceps to stop bleeding from the arteries during surgery and special forceps to extract bullets, a bullet probe, a mirror for throat examinations and a folding scalpel.