The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-22
ARMY RELIEF WORK.
How the Needs of the Soldiers May
Best BE Met.

DcSt Dc Wet
DR.. George G.. Croft. in New York indie
This article is based on an experience of
three months in the work of relief. Relief
is needed, and has been badly needed ever
since the war with Spain began.
Relief for Men in Camps-Do not send
them any, deicacies. Plain, substantial sub
stances should be sent in quantity to make
a meal for whole company-one hundred
men. Do not send soldiers pies, cakes, jel-
lies or sweet drinks. Lemons. lemon juice,
are useful drinks. Do not send preserves
sweet jams or sweet canned goods. Do send
all the oatmeal, wheatlet avena, dried beef.
condensed cream and dried fruit you desire.
These things the government does not sup
ply, and they are very. valuable.
Every soldier should have two or three
flannel bandages; he should have toilet soap,
washrag. towel handkerchief, needles,
thread, socks shoestrings He can often
very small Let the towels etc., be small
and cheap, for the soldier is poor washer
articles of this. class The needle case
should not exceed five inches by three inches
by One-half inch in thickness. 1T should be
made like a pocketbook Larger cases the
soldiers cannot carry.
For Hospitals-First is needed money to
purchase many needed articles. which Off
GERS on the ground can generally better Sc
cure than those at home, for conditions
vary in each hospital. However, in Porto
home is invaluable and highly priced by all
fortunate enough to be recipients.
1t is much better for friends to contribute
money to the great national societies in
order that they may do the purchasing than
for the local societies to undertake the
same. This is because by experience the
national institutions have learned just the
kind or class of articles, quality, etc. most
acceptable to the men,. and it is true that
they are able to make 81 go two or three
hope to do. This is because they know just
what is needed. To illustrate, six towels
most useful in hospitals. can be purchased
for the price of one of the quality often sent
by the local societies.
Oatmeal, avena, Wheatlet, barley and
condensed cream matted milk, dried beef,
soda and graham crackers, dried fruits, as
apples, prunes, apricoats, canned fruits, es-
pecially pears and peaches; grape juice. lime
juice, raspberry vinegar, tea, cocoa, black
berry wine and cordial and the mineral
waters are all priced and greatly needed all
the time for the government does not fur
nish them, and in the tropics they cannot be
purchased.
Towels, night shirts. sheets. pillows, pill
low cases, socks, underclothing in almost
any amount slippers for the convalescents,
toilet soap, wash rags mosquito netting,
palm-leaf fans. handkerchief but especial
ly pyjamas for in the tropics where any
covering is often unbearable, the pytama
fills a need the night shirt does not reach
Do not fail to mark on outside the con-
tents of every box, as the distribution must
needs often be made under very trying cir
cumstances when it is impossible to open
boxes.
ed in hospital work. Money is also needed
to furnish these supplies on the vessels
which are transporting the sick from the
tropics to the States
The national societies engaged i'm this
work are the National Relief Commission,
.07 Drexel building, philadelphia Pa and
ofty Through the exertions of these two
institutions hundreds of valuable lives have
been saved, and Will continue TO be saved
SO long as the troops remain in the trop-
les.