New Britain herald., 1918-03-07
NOTHING TOO GOOD
 FOR THE $AMM|ES
Medical Department Safe-Guard-
 ing Health Of Men

Chicago, March 7.--NothinG is too good for United States soldiers sent to army hospitals for treatment, ac- ,cording to Major w. A Shields, in charge of the army's central depart ment medical supply depot here, who has just given to The Associated Press a detailed account of the methods em- ployed in safeguarding the health of the mon in khaki.
 Major Shields said that medical of ficers at the various army hospitals have only to ask for what they want for the treatment of the men and it goes to them.
 An officer at Fort Sheridan recent ly asked for special type of operat- ing table, said Major Shields. It was not a standard table and IS uSsn only rarely. Although it had to De made to order and cost conslderaoly more than the ordinary table, It was crushed at once to the hospital.
 Many army surgeons, he stated ask for certain uncommon instruments sometimes for use in one particular case only, yet the medical supply or ficers spare no efforts 10 obtaln them.
 Carrying out the departmental policy of thoroughness in the treat ment of the men, only the most sanl- tary. most modern and most cthc1ent eduipment is sent out. This rule ap- , plies to everything, from the furniture used in the institutions to the dishes from which the patients eat. Major Shields said that all hospitals are supplied with high grade SllNcr-plateu knives. forks and spoons, inc qualitE linens, the best food, sleeping quarters irn11t can provide. and that everything clSc is on the same high plane.
 Athought the depot has to furnish no supplies for wounded mon as yet, the hospitals of the central depart ment have received more than 0,O00,- 900 feet of cloth banda ges~-enough to extend from New York to the TeNas coast WEcn the Am erican forces arc actually engaged in trench warfare in any considerable numbers and wounded mon begin to pour into American hospitals, Major Shields said, it is probable that the medical supply depot will be overtaxed to sup ply needed bandages. Because of thlS fact officials are Investigating paper bandages which are said to be equally as serviceable as the kind now in gen eral use Paper bandages have been l most exclusively owing to the inability of that country to get material for cloth bandages.
 Major Shields expressed confidence that the department will not be em barrassed because of the scarcity of any needed drug or medicine used at army hospitals. German rugs have been duplicated by American medical investigators with the result that the department is adequately equipped 10 care for it's men, either wounded or ill.
 Practically no Whislley is used in army hospitals, Major Shields said Its use he declared, is being dls- couraged because the reaction It causes makes it's use as a stimulant undesirable, according to the medical officer. He said, however, that a small quantity of whskey is carried at the depot and will be supplied should any medical officer call fer it. In this con- nection Major Shields spoke Of the Vera Cruz expedition in 1914 when he acted as medical supply officer for General Funston.
 During the month that we were there,'' he said, "I issued just one quart of whiskey.'
 On the other hand alcohol is one oi the most widely used medical sup. : plies kept at the depot. It is shipped to cantcnment camps in 50 gallon drums and is used in great quantities for baths and in rubbing.
 Electricity is being made to do it's share in the care of the soldiers, Many modern hospital appliances are operated by electricity in addition to the part it is playing in the treatment of tuberculosis. N-ray photographs of lungs of soldiers, suspected Of being tubercular are taken at the rate o1 fifty day at each of the cantonment hospitals. By the use of these Hung pictures the treatment of tuberculosis has been greatly simplifed. Fifty thousand X-ray plates have been used at the central department camps in