Putnam patriot., 1918-01-18
CLASS IN SURGICAL DRESSINGS
Finishes Course and Receives Ger
 tihcates.
(Contributed)

workers in the city? A class was or ganized on Tuesday, January Sth. and held it's sessions in the Red Cross rooms from 10 a. m. until 12. and i from ? o'clock until i, for four days. ] Some of the ladies spent even the l dinner hour at the rooms. Mrs. Sel- 1 den B. Overlook, the Divisional Su- l pervisor of Surgical Dressings. con i ducted the class with forty members enrolled
 The members of former class in structed by Mrs Mitchell, assisted i Mrs Overlook in preparing materials, and demonstrating the work There are sixteen Standard Dressings which were taught in such a thorough manner, that any member of the class is pronounced competent to make them in any Connecticut work room without a blunder.
 Absorbent gauge is a very subtle material to deal with. If you are not used to the feel" of it, you are apt to go at it as if it were three-inch timber Fingers turned mysteriously into thumbs at first, and after day | great majority of the class couldn't tell a sponge from a seultetus. | Dreams that night were many and va ried The class to a man spent the 1 best part of the night folding gauge l tr in repeating, "Cut the gauge IS l by IS. Remove all loose threads and l place it on the table with the selvage to the right" until even Mrs. Over l lock herself would have been convinc- ed that facts were really sinking into her pupils minds. It is pity that every dressing that has been made l this week in dreams, cannot be sent on it's way rejoicing to the trenches. l On the second day, figures began to clear up little, and on Friday night, every member deserved to sleep the sleep of the just, as every individual passd the course with a percentage of at least S0 Now they can make you a bandage with as many tails as you like They know that 1t IS les sentiar' that there are no loose threads on a finished dressing, and that perfectly even lower edges in a mine by nine" are "non-essential. y They all wash their hands in lamb like way, and launder their aprons between 12 and o'clock.
 Before the war, we Americans deemed ourselves superior to the glory of uniform. We thought we cared little or nothing for one bar, or two bars, or silver leaves, or brass 1 buttons. But now we realize that we are pleased with a tangible evidence of our rank. The fifty workers in their white regalia, with their stream ing wells, bending earnestly over their work, were quite impressive to look at Men in Putnam who think the ladies take their gay looking workbags over to the Municipal Building to have pleasant afternoon tea, ought to have dropped in unex- pectedly to witness the true state of affairs.
 The certificates, which admit the pupil to any Surgical Dressings Workroom in the country, were pre- scented by the instructor, together with two Red Crosses woven on white tape, to be sewed on the coif and up- per pocket respectfully. Many grad uates upon reaching home, went straight from the front door to the pincushion, and sewed on their insig- mia before taking off their things. Those who won the Red Cross de- sserve it, for the course was not a Overlook, who gives all her time to the Surgical Dressings work, and has conducted this class in such capable and graceful way. has much reasan to feel that her work is not only in- valuable, but greatly appreciated. Many make sacrifices to take the course Among these was Miss Sylvia Wheelock, who stayed out of school afternoons and then made up her les sons afterwards
 The Surgical Dressings are des- perately needed, and as time goes on, the need will grow greater and nearer to us. We could not possibly over supply the demand Every lady in Putnam is earnestly requested to give any time she may have to this work. The muslin bandages are made downstairs in the large Red Cross room where no uniform is necessary the gauge work is done upstairs in the small room at the rear of the Pub lie Library, where all workers wear the white service apron and head GOV ering. Anyone who works regularly in the Surgical Dressings Rooms, and has made satisfactorily the sixteen Standard Dressings, is cited by the Supervisor of the room to Mrs. Over lock, as being in line for the Red Cross
 The members of the class receiv- ing the certificate are as follows:
 Miss Marion Andem, Mrs. John