Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-17
Die+itian
Well Trained
ForWarWork
By PRUDENCE PENNY

BY PRUDENCE PENN1
CHIEF DIETTIAN with tho
Seventeenth General Hospital
in World War II will be Gladys
Spring Rambler. Well known
in, hospital and home economic
circles. she leaves a position as
administrative dietitian al Har-
per Hospital.
One of those subtle people
who always manages 10 bring
good humor and life TO a group,
YOU ask the motivaGng force
back OF her enlistment. Doub-
ling here are patriotism and a
desire for professional expert
enCe.
A graduate of Michigan State
Normal College, Ypsilanti, Mrs.
Rambler had her student die
tetics training AT the University
of Michigan Hospital. Ann Ar
Dor, and came directly 10 Har-
per Hospital 13 years ago.
Active in Red Cross
She has been most active In
the past year teaching not only
Red Cross canteen courses but
also Red Cross first aid. Her
fraternal memberships include
national. state and local dietetic
associations. in which she has
held numerous offices, and AL
pha Sigma Alpha alumni, ma
uonal education sorority.
While the size of this hospital
unit requires the services of
four dietitians, Mrs. Rambler
has as yet only one assistant
an Oklahoma dietitian. She will
also have one of her Harper
cooks. Edward Kondrat. There
fore. as the saying goes, they're
planning TO roll up their sleeves
and 60 10 work.
Word has recently come that
two dietitians trained at Har-
per under Mary Harrington are
leaving with other bases
Jean Writ with Buffalo General
and Ruth McClelland with Yale.
Uniform
In all probability the fegtiia--
ton street uniform will be a
tan skirt and shirt with medium
blue coat and overcoat, match
ing blue hat and brown oXfords.
The summer uniform is tan cot
ton gabardine skirt with white
blouse. OF course, the Red Cross
hospital duty uniform will still
stand.
A blue stripe on the sleeve of
the street uniform will identify
the chief and one on the duty
cap. The assistants stripe will
be a bit narrower.
Dietitians were active in the
last war but more so at the
station hospitals than the bases,
which follow the theater of ac-
tivity. While they do not have
military status as yet, they have
become vital part of hospital
organization.
Their Duties
They are responsible for plan
ming menus for and feeding the
patients properly prepared food
e.. yet meeting a budget. The
equipment will be temporary,
not the fine institutional type
=. no doubt similar TO that in
mobile kitchens.
Our interest in the activities
OF dietitians in the last war
brought us into conversation
with Priscilla Rolls Stephenson,
who was overseas in 1918. She
says IL is definitely a test OF
reSourcefulness.
One situation they moved into
involved the feeding of 800
patients with only eight army
ranges, two steam kettles. no
tables. shelves or cooking uten-
sils. The patients couldn't be
allowed TO starve and food
was provided.
Plenty Then
They did have plenty of food
in those times and the only
thing they were rationed on in
any respect was bread. The
quality of the thousands of
pounds OF meat passing through
her hands impressed her; none
of il was bad. With this condi-
tion 25 years ago, we can know
that those in service now will
get the finest of meals with
the additional emphasis that
has been placed on nutrition.
Mrs. Stephenson in looking
back. can't say enough for the
fine care which the army ac-
cords its women enlistees. Their
services are appreciated. When
attacks are eminent. the nurses,
dletitians and other women are
among the first moved from the
crapn ~ J.~~,~