Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-25
CAMP PATIENTS
WANT CHINAWARE
Tired of Eating Chips From
Battered Dishes Originally
Enamelcd

Camp Dix. y. J.-Uncle Sam is
spending approximately n half mil
lion dollars II year to buy for hi!
sick and wounded hero nephews
brought back from the battleiield'
of Europe TO the base hospital a
Camp Dix, the finest Viands tho
markets afford. lie has spent Other
huge sums on installing the mos
modern of kitchens where this food
is cooked under direction of famous
chefs and under the direct observa-
tion of expert dieticians.
And yet, because of red tap
blocking an appropriation of a few
hundred dollars for decent table
ware. what is probably some of the
finest food ever served in an Ameri-
can army mess, is put before nearly
two thousand convalescent patients
in dishes. bowls and cups the very
appearance of which would be like
ly to discourage the appetite of q
hungry man in the pink of health,
They Once Were White
These dishes bowls and cups are
of enamel ware. They may have
been white when they left the fac
tory and their enamel may have
been intact. But after a few trips
through the washing process,
they have lost both enamel and col
or. An inspection of the big mess
hall in the hospital this week
showed that most of the tableware
had taken on the streaked dirt hues
common to most used enamel ware.
The enamel was Clipped from edges
of the utensils. especially the cups,
with the result that patients have
to drink their coffee, tea, milk or
l. I e..
Il streak of rust between their lips.
Frequently, patients say, slivers
of the Clipped enamel get into their
mouths with the food. The upshot
OF the matter is that friends on the
outside are continually hearing pa
ticnts complain of the hospital food
when .rmy inspectors, dieticians
and civilian visitors repeatedly have
found the food itself unusually
superior.
The mess officer at the base hos
pital is Lieutenant Stanton L. Koh-
Ter, who before the war was in
charge of the menus of a big New
York hotel. "Only the best is the
rule Lieutenant Kohler's office has
established for the purchase and
preparation of food served in the
hospital.
Two types of meals are sent out
from the hospital kitchens, one of
light dict fer bed patients and one
of heavier diet for the other pa
tients. In addition to the regular
service, a patient may order any
dish or dcIiCacy he thinks would
appeal to his taste. providing his
ward surgeon approves.
y days menu, that of April Is,
nItIHI o. random, is,
low:
Light diet - Breakfast: Cooked
cereal, fruits. French toast, coffee,
cocoa or milk. Dinner: Tomato
boullion, fricassee of chicken with
gravy, mashed potatoes, string
beans, brown-betty pudding, bread,
butter, coffee and milk. Supper:
'rcamed peas and rice, baked pota-
toes, peached, cocoa.
General mess, heavy diet -
breakfast: Oatmeal, creamed beef
ON toast grape fruit, bread, butter
and coffee. Dinner: Roast beef and
gravy, mashed potatoes, mashed
turnips, stewcd corn, cornstarch
pudding, corn meal, mullins. butter
and coffee. supper: Cold meats.
potato salad, rice pudding, bread,
butter and tea.
aluminium On BatticliCiis
FROM the central kitchens meals
are sent to the fifty ward kitchens
IN covered containers set in boiling
water. The mess officer has recon-
nlended that this service be further
improved by the installation of
steam tables in each ward kitchen
to insure the food being kept hot
until service.
Even on the battlefield. these sol
dicrs ate their chow from aluminium
KITS. In most of the French or
English hospitals, in which some of
them were originally patents. they
were served from china plates. In
his own home the average man.
convalescant from illness or injuries.
Is llkely to develop what his wo-
menfolk call 'fussinesS" The life
OF the camp has robbed the conva-
lescent soldier of none of this touch
mess of palate and army surgeons.
recognizing the importance that de-
tail plays in keeping the appetite
of a patient good, have made appar-
entity every possible effort to have
heavy white porcelain tableware
substituted for the enamel.
Inquiry at the office of Lieutenant
colonel w. Cole Davis, hospital COM
Inandant, this week, brought out
the fact that hospital authorities
have been endeaVorlng for several
months TO get Il reuqisition from
the Quartermasters Department for
better mess hall equipment. Upon
the suggestion of correspondents
that the "Q. NJ" might have chang
ed its mind, the commandants of
flee Immediately got the medical
supply headquarters in Washington
ON the long distance telephone and
renewed the request. There was
lengthy explanation, but the net re-
suit was: Nothing doing."
Enamel tableware only is issuable
for hospitals, according to the edict
of the powers that be. Chinaware
might be broken, in the view of
Washington officials, who may not
be aware that a large percentage
of the permanent messes in the
camp proper use chinaware.
Woman, Convicted