MedicAlert Bracelet
date: label: date made
content: about 1955
notes: label: Description
content: A sample MedicAlert© Bracelet made of stainless steel. Ovoid-shaped medallion and curb chain links. On the front is medical symbol the Rod of Asclepius and the words MEDIC ALERT in red and the medical symbol of the American Medical Association. Inscribed on the back "PHONE 209-634-4917/ALLERGIC TO/SULFA DRUGS/SAMPLE/345171".
label: Description
content: The MedicAlert© Foundation, a non-profit organization, was founded in 1956 by Dr. Marion Collins to alert health care workers to critical but not apparent emergency health situations. Dr. Collins fourteen year old Linda suffered a severe allergic reaction to tetanus antitoxin that contained horse serum. Not wanting to experience a similar situation, the family struggled to come up with a solution. Linda herself suggested wearing a bracelet would alert health care workers in an emergency situation. Dr. Collins took a rough sketch of a bracelet to a jeweler, and the MedicAlert© bracelet was born. Engraved on the back of each bracelet or medallion is the medical condition of the wearer. On the reverse side each MedicAlert© ID has a unique membership number that links to the foundation database. In an emergency situation, medical authorities can access members' medical information.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: California, California
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Chrissie W. Collins
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2018.0190.02
label: accession number
content: 2018.0190
label: catalog number
content: 2018.0190.02
objectType: label: Object Name
content: bracelet, medical ID
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2.3 cm x 20.7 cm; 29/32 in x 8 5/32 in