Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-14

The approach to Washington is marred
by no thioket of high stacks. No pail of
smoke hovers over the city
Business and hides the golden crest of
the Congressional Library
NeA1e1. from view. Nor does a gar
ment Of SCOT cling to the Goddess Of
Liberty upon her pedestal on the Capt.
tol dome None of these things. which
usually occur in any manufacturing Gen.
ter can be placed to the discredit of the
National Capital. the city beautiful"
And yet withal. Washington is manu-
featuring center. and that on a large
scale. Its output does not consist OF those
products which have won prominence for
SO many cities. and in some instances
even it's manufactures do not demand the
aid of an army OF workers. But Wash
ington is quietly going on producing great
quantities of various things, and in every
instance practically the dominant force
which controls and propels these indus
tries is the United States government.
The fact. for instance that Uncle Sam
manufactures soldiers and sailors for his
army and navy is we'll known. Such
manufactures as these are well known,
chiefly because they are SO noticeable.
But beneath this surface Of apparent In
try of keeping the wheels within the
wheels revolving. Sometimes these inner
wheels have to be scattered far and wide
over the entire country, while at others
they are to be found only in Washington.
One of those inner wheels which only
exists here is the field medical supply
depot Of the United States Army Here
hospitals are manufactured complete,
with the exception of the place in which
they are to be put and the men who
will have charge Of them. Cots, bedding.
medicine, surgical appliances, mess and
kitchen ware for the sick are all put into
such shape here that they can be shipped
out at moments notice.
These hospitals are for use in time OF
actual warfare or for fed service in
times of peace. such as
Ready for during maneuvers. In
o contradistinction< to the
campaigns. field supply depot
there are three other depots, in New
York, San Francisco and st. Louis, from
which points the post supplies are dis
tributed. From those points are sent
the necessary medicines and appliances
with which to keep the regular post hos
pital running. At the field medical sup
ply depot they manufacture the hos
pitfalls which can be run up over night
for the care Of the sick and wounded in
wartime.
At the present time the working force
at the field medical supply. depot num-
bers only about ten men, while if
twenty times that many men would be
rushed on. the work and both day and
night shifts employed. In charge OF the
depot is Maj. Carl r. Darnall. United
States Medical Corps.
When the term manufacturing is used
in connection with the field medical sup
ply depot it does not mean that all the
medicine and various appliances are ac
tually made there. The medicines sur
gfcal appliances, chests and all the other
paraphernalia comprising a field hospital
are sent here from the various firms from
which the United States government
buys. At this depot all this material
Is assembled into the standard hospital
equipment. The very highest scientific
ability is brought to bear upon the mat
ter of packing and preparing
A visit to the headquarters Of the field
medical supply depot at u NJ street
northeast will do more,
0clenClnc perhaps, to impress a
po.1 visitor with the minute
ness Of detail with which
the work OF the government Is carried on
than would. perhaps, visit to some more
prominent government bureau. Here is
to be found the quintessence of ability in
packing, from both the standpoint of
safety and space. Each one of the points
which make this work today an art is the
result of careful investigation and study
on the part of some one or more of
o1o
chests in which much Of the material is
packed, for example, are fastened by
locks which are sunk into the box itself
and nothing extends beyond the surface.
Thus, when the chests are piled upon a
wagon or train, absolutely no space is
wasted by protuberances, and the chance
of breakage through catching these locks
is materially lessened.
Such point as that would seem, per-
haps. of no Importance. But it Is the con-
slant painstaking care which is given
these apparently minor details which has
resulted in the excellence Of the present
System Of assembling hospital equipment
Several different classes of chests are
packed at the depot. aside from the as
sembling of complete hospital equipment
For instance, some of he.cases prepared
include the detached service chest. the
medical chest. the surgical chest, small
and large mess chests and the field desk.
There are many others for specific pur-
poses.
In making ready any one of the chests
sent out by this depot several important
questions are to be considered First Of
all Is the matter of space. The detached
service chest, for example. is designed for
use when a regiment is detailed for
special service which will necessitate it's
going some distance from one of the
hospitals. The contents must be such as
Will meet all ordinary emergencies, from
relieving the wounded to alleviating dis
eases incidental to the campaign. And
then the box must be OF a size to be car
RED on a pack mule, and SO arranged
that the surgeon can nave ready access
to its entire contents.
packing the different chests, there is one
in particular which shows
Compressed better perhaps than any
other the science which
OiesSlA6S. has been brought to bear
This is the box containing what is called
surgical dressings reserve. This consists
of a long canvas arrangement made up
of a series of pockets, each of which
bears a stenciled title of the contents.
The contents range from safety pins to
bandages and bottles. The bandages used
are similar TO those commonly known.
except in one particular. Ordinarily
bandages are rolled and then wrapped.
making tubelike package when COM
plete. Those packed in this case, how
ever. are taken after they have been
wrapped and put under machine which
congresses them into fiat package
Z. hol ~