When the St John Ambulance Association was founded in 1877 to provide practical first aid training, its lectures on ‘First Aid to the Injured’ were developed into its first aid manuals. They were first published in 1878 under the title ‘Handbook Describing Aids for Cases of Injury or Sudden Illness’, but after a few years, they were renamed to ‘First Aid to the Injured’. The manuals were one of the first pocket-sized practical guides for dealing with first aid scenarios and life-threatening injuries, designed for quick and easy access, and including detailed accompanying illustrations.

The digitisation of these manuals was funded by the St John Historical Society in 2024.