Summary heading

General Correspondence

Function and purpose

This series was created and maintained by the Medical Equipment Co-ordination Committee. The series contains correspondence relating to control of pharmaceutical drugs, medical equipment and medical supplies during World War 2.

• Drugs and ingredients include Penicillin, Morphine, Quinine, Sulphanilamides, Hyoscine, Parrafin, Fish liver oils, Eucalyptus oils, Ascorbic Acid, Aspirin, Ergot and Lanolin.
• Equipment includes hypodermic syringes, surgical instruments, thermometers and X ray equipment
• Supplies include artificial teeth, sanitary pads and napkins, adhesive plasters dental supplies, toothbrushes, spectacle frames and lenses

The correspondence covers

• Requests for supply of drugs or raw ingredients to manufacture drugs
• National Security regulations and clarification of application of newly issued National Security regulations
• Requests for release of medications for patients
• Reports on scientific research and experiments with pharmaceutical drugs and ingredients
• Quantities of pharmaceutical drugs and ingredients held in Australia and overseas
• Reports on supply situation of particular pharmaceutical drugs, equipment and supplies
• Difficulties of manufacture due to lack of staff and lack of materials

Related legislation

Using the series

Language of material

Physical characteristics

Most of the records are in plain brown file covers with hand written titles and numbers on the front and the back edge. Some records are in pink Department of Defence folders with ‘Secret’ classification printed on the front.

System of arrangement and control

Only a selection of records created by the Medical Equipment Co-ordination Committee are in custody. It is not known whether the other records in this series are still extant.

Some of the records in custody are annotated with previous or subsequent file numbers.

The records seem to have been controlled by several arrangement systems. One arrangement system consists of a single number and an M prefix. A multinumber arrangement was also used and some files with an M prefix were renumbered to the new multinumber arrangement but retained the single number as the last section of the file number. One record does not have a file number and four small documents appear to have become detached from their original file location.

The records were transferred and listed on the consignment list in bundles categorised by subject.

The National Archives of Australia has imposed a two part control symbol on the records, consisting of the Bundle number and the position within the bundle.

The file numbers on the records have been included as alternate control symbols.

Relationships with other records

Finding aids

Access conditions

Series history

Administrative information

The following data was keyed from the paper documentation:
Form number: CA 17
Creating department: , Health, Medical Equipment control Committee.,
Date of transfer: 21/09/1956
Archives file number: RWC19/1/9

Provenance

Immediate source of acquisition

Custodial history

These files were transferred by the Department of Health on 21 September 1956.

Quantity in agency custody

Disposal history

Publication note

Additional information

End notes

Sources