The Bureau had designated what things were most needed in France, and the simplest way to make them, and where to obtain yarn. It is quite possible that mufflers just as good might be an inch longer or an inch shorter, purled in stripes or not. The Red Cross never declines to receive work that doesn't follow precisely the instructions, but the standardized instructions have been designated, and the only way for the average woman to be sure that she has come as near as possible to giving what is wanted, is to follow those instructions. Next, Miss Marshall, dealing always with the latest news from France, established standards for hospital garments, pajamas, bath robes, hospital bed shirts, surgeons' and nurses' operating gowns and masks, bed socks, undershirts, underdrawers, hot water and ice bag covers. In most of the divisions, the Supply Service working with the Woman's Bureau has put in cutting machines and made master patterns so that twenty garments can be cut at once, and perfectly.
Chapters can then purchase the material for garments already cut.
Cutting machines are also used in preparing the gauze for the surgical dressings work. The Surgical dressings work has been a tremendous in itself. Under Dr. Hartwell of New York, twenty-three standard dressings were passed on and the Woman's Bureau was able to issue two circulars, one describing each dressing in detail, with diagram, and one for instructors. The problem of organizing those competent to give instruction in the making of surgical dressings, and using laywomen wherever possible in order not to draw too heavily on the nursing profession, the process of selecting from those who were competent teachers and workmen, those who could best be used to instruct other instructors for the rapidly increasing number of Red Cross Chapters, and those who could best be used in the chapter workrooms to bend their every energy on increase of output these things have been one phase of the surgical dressings work. As a problem in manufacture, the world has never seen the like of what the laywomen of America have put their shoulders to.