Humidicribs are used to transport sick babies from small hospitals to major hospitals for specialist care. They work by maintaining normal body temperature and provide oxygen if needed during ambulance transit. Known by a variety of commercial names, earlier humidicribs were ones heated with water bottles. Not part of an ambulances standard equipment, humidicribs are kept in ambulance stations and carried if babies needed to be transported. In the early days before humidicribs came into use and when air ambulances did not exist, many more babies died during emergency transits than do today Manufactured by the Commonwealth Industrial Gases Limited (better known as CIG), Australian-made Port-O-Cot brand humidicribs came replaced timber home-made humidicribs. They had electrical heating and easy to control oxygen flow and humidity control equipment. CIG also noted that noted that: Once the baby has been placed inside, the cot need not be opened, all nursing operations being carried out through the iris armholes. Even though the baby is in complete isolation nursing is a straight forward matter… The iris armholes allow nurses to feed, weigh, take temperatures, change napkins or, in fact, carry out any procedures without changing or disturbing the atmosphere within the cot. Happily for ambulance officers and nurses, the new Port-O-Cots were also much lighter and easy to carry than their old timber ones! metal box with carry handles and Perspex opening top. Carry handles at each end.PORT-O-COTinfant

Humidicribs are used to transport sick babies from small hospitals to major hospitals for specialist care. They work by maintaining normal body temperature and provide oxygen if needed during ambulance transit. Known by a variety of commercial names, earlier humidicribs were ones heated with water bottles. Not part of an ambulances standard equipment, humidicribs are kept in ambulance stations and carried if babies needed to be transported. In the early days before humidicribs came into use and when air ambulances did not exist, many more babies died during emergency transits than do today The Thermocot Developed from the Port-O-Cot, CIG later produced the Thermocot. The new humidicrib had a number of advantages over the Port-O-Cot. Most importantly it had an over-temperature alarm and cut out. It was also calibrated in degrees Celsius as by then the metric measuring system had been introduced to Australia. It also had a front opening canopy which was easier for nursing staff to use. Metal box with Perspex opening top section. Carry handles at each end.Thermocot portable infant incubator CIGinfant

Humidicribs are used to transport sick babies from small hospitals to major hospitals for specialist care. They work by maintaining normal body temperature and provide oxygen if needed during ambulance transit. Known by a variety of commercial names, earlier humidicribs were ones heated with water bottles. Not part of an ambulances standard equipment, humidicribs are kept in ambulance stations and carried if babies needed to be transported. In the early days before humidicribs came into use and when air ambulances did not exist, many more babies died during emergency transits than do today The Thermocot Developed from the Port-O-Cot, CIG later produced the Thermocot. The new humidicrib had a number of advantages over the Port-O-Cot. Most importantly it had an over-temperature alarm and cut out. It was also calibrated in degrees Celsius as by then the metric measuring system had been introduced to Australia. It also had a front opening canopy which was easier for nursing staff to use. Metal box with Perspex opening top section. Carry handles at each end.Thermocot portable infant incubator CIG

A postcard of Egypt from John Basil McLean, who signs himself Basil to his family. This item was with other World War 1 memorabilia that has come from Private John Basil McLean, 2nd Reinforcements, 37th Battalion, A.I.F. Possibly these were with him during his time in the First World War and kept them as a mementos. J.B. McLean (Service No. 13824) was from near Maffra, Victoria and enlisted on 22 January 1916. He embarked on 16 December 1916 for Europe. He spent time with the Australian Field Artillery (Pack Section). At the end of the war he worked for a year at the A.I.F. Headquarters in London before returning to Australia on the 'Ceramic', arriving in Portsea in 1920. His full war record is available from the National Archives of Australia (B2455, MCLEAN JBM).An example of correspondence between soldiers and their home during World War 1. It shows that Australian soldiers took the opportunity to see parts of the world when they were serving overseas.Standard size postcard with image of a Pharoh statue (Roi Khephern) in Cairo Museum.Front - “CAIRE / Le Musee - Statue du Roi Khephern” Back - “UNION POSTALE UNIVERSELLE / EGYPTE / CARTE POSTALE / Ephtimios Freres, Port Said / Cai 190 / 54917 / N14 / At Sea / 31.12.16 / My dearest Mater / Just a few lines for the close / of the old year. We had our first wet day today. It was too wet for / church parade. The sunset this evening / was simply lovely. I wish you could / have seen it. With all good wishes / for 1917 to all from your loving Son / Basil.war correspondence, souvenir, world war one, mclean