Books and Documents > Medical Department of the U.S. Army in the World War, Volume III, Finance & Supply
CHAPTER X
INSPECTION OF SUPPLIES
Many elements enter into the inspection of supplies. Some of them can be gauged by the skill of the inspector through the senses of sight and touch. Color, texture, and finish can be so determined on the spot by the field inspector. The quality of many raw materials can be so judged, particularly those entering into textiles, brushes, brooms, and the like. For the more exact and scientific tests, a suitably equipped laboratory is required. Whenever the inspection to be made involves only the senses, a complete piece inspection is practicable. If need be, every individual article may be examined. When laboratory tests are required, inspection, as a rule, must be by sample. In many of the laboratory tests the sample tested loses any further usefulness.
An efficient and satisfactory inspection of supplies requires a field force for such inspections as can be made at the factory. This force will determine color, construction, and finish. For the technical tests samples of raw materials, semifinished products, and the finished article are sent to the laboratory. The findings of both inspections are then consolidated and placed before the purchasing officer.
Inspections of medical and hospital supplies involve a technical knowledge of a wide range of articles and many commodities. A chemical analysis is required for drugs and pharmaceuticals. Textiles, besides size, color, and finish, call for thread count, weight, and tensile strength. Surgical dressings require, in addition, a determination of the ash and extraneous materials, and the absorbency. Surgical instruments require a determination of the quality and carbon contents of the steel, the workmanship and finish. X-ray apparatus must be given a performance test. Every other commodity or class of articles included within the list of medical and hospital supplies has its own peculiar requirements in the matter of inspection. Not a few of the articles require for their complete inspection the knowledge and skill of the user as well as technical knowledge of manufacture and test.
For many years prior to the World War, the inspection of all articles purchased by the officers in charge of medical supply depots was made at the depots, except drugs, chemicals, and reagents. Whenever medicines and chemical agents were purchased in considerable quantities, samples were taken at random from the deliveries and forwarded to the Surgeon General’s Office. There the labels were removed and a number attached to the container, after which the sample was referred to the chemical laboratory at the Army Medical School for analysis and an examination to determine whether it conformed to the specifications under which purchased.
As the years passed and the strength of the Army increased, the analytical work devolving upon the laboratory reached such volume that it could not
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be handled with the existing facilities. The question arose whether to enlarge the laboratory or to establish another one. Because of the large purchases being made at the New York medical supply depot it was decided, in 1911, to establish a new laboratory there and to continue the one in Washington.1 From that time on through the World War these two laboratories made examinations of supplies bought by the Medical Department.
Prior to 1908 specifications for medical supplies were few and the personnel making the inspections were not well trained for the work, except those in the chemical laboratory in Washington. Beginning in 1908 increasing interest was taken in supplies and attention given to the character and quality of articles purchased. Primitive specifications or descriptions of requirements for those articles were evolved as familiarity with the demand knowledge of trade practices increased. Practically all articles except pharmaceuticals and chemical agents were purchased according to standard sample. This method had many advantages. Whenever an article of better quality was discovered, or one more suitable for the purpose, it was an easy matter to substitute it as standard sample. Subsequent purchases would conform to the new standard. Bidders were familiar with the quality of the standard sample, knew what to bid on, and where to secure the material. The quality required was evident from an inspection of the article. The use of specifications in the trade for commercial articles was then in its infancy.
The method of purchase by standard sample was satisfactory for all articles received at the purchasing depot. Deliveries could readily be compared with the standard sample or with the sample on which the purchase was based. The method had also its disadvantages. It required of the bidder that he see the standard sample upon which to bid. Information concerning the size, type, and quality could not readily be transmitted to an inspector at a distance from the depot. Even at the depot inconvenience would arise from lack of ready access to the sample. The purchase of the increased quantities of supplies required by the border mobilization of 1916 emphasized the disadvantages and led to increased effort in the preparation of specifications. During those purchases the urgency of the need on the border, the large bulk of the supplies, and the scanty storage space at the purchasing depots made necessary shipments direct from the factory to the distributing depots and hospitals in the southern department.
With the increasing interest in supplies following 1908, it was the plan of the Surgeon General to train medical officers of the Regular Army in the purchase and inspection of medical and hospital supplies. The number of officers in the whole Medical Department was so small and the demands for their services so diverse and widespread that very few could be spared for supply duty. One assistant each was assigned to the New York and St. Louis depots. The other medical supply depots had none. As a result comparatively few officers had been so trained prior to April, 1917. Even the few that bad been trained were so urgently needed for administrative duties that they could not be spared for inspections during the World War and other assistance had to be found.
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The lack of storage and the increased cost of handling bulky materials at the purchasing medical supply depots made it necessary that inspections be made elsewhere, preferably at the point of manufacture. As stated above, inspections at that point had many advantages; the raw materials and semifinished products could be followed through to the finished article. The inspector would thereby be thoroughly familiar from all angles with the articles whos equalities and conformity to contract stipulations he must judge. Acceptances could be made on these inspections. Shipments could be made from the factories in full confidence that the articles being forwarded wholly met the requirements as to design, size, and quality. Only such quantities need be received at the purchasing depot as its immediate requirements demanded. The remainder would go direct from the factories to the camps, distributing depots, and ports of embarkation.
The chief requirement, then, for factory inspection was a sufficient force of technically trained inspectors. But the Medical Department did not have such a force. Whereto secure trained personnel in whose judgment and integrity confidence could be placed was the question. Ample facilities could be provided without difficulty for the examination of pharmaceuticals and allied materials. It would only be necessary to expand the chemical laboratories of the Surgeon General’s Office and the New York medical supply depot. Space was available at both places and trained personnel were not difficult to secure.
For supplies other than pharmaceuticals an entirely different situation presented itself. The Medical Department had no nucleus of personnel trained in the inspection of such supplies which it could expand to meet requirements. An entirely new inspection organization had to be built up and an efficient inspection system developed. To locate the necessary trained personnel was not an easy matter. It was at first thought that they could be secured from the various industries manufacturing the classes of supplies to be purchased.2 Inspections could be made by the job on a per diem basis. These agents could act in the name of the supply officer, advising him whether the materials were acceptable, and certify to the purchasing officer the quantities which conformed to the specifications. The responsibility for the final acceptance of the material devolved, however, upon the purchasing officer. To secure the necessary personnel authority was granted by the Surgeon General to the three purchasing depots, early in May, 1917, for the employment of personnel on a job basis.
Meanwhile (April 11, 1917) the appraiser of the port of New York had suggested to the Secretary of the Treasury that the services of the expert merchandise examiners of his office might be utilized for the inspection of Army and Navy supplies to bepurchased.3 The war in Europe had caused a marked falling off in imports and had greatly reduced the volume of work of these examiners. Men of all grades of the appraiser’s force had volunteered for various war activities. The appraiser was enabled thereby to retain his force and utilize the services of his entire staff. These conditions prompted the suggestion of April 11 for the use of their services in inspecting Army and Navy supplies.4 The Secretary of the Treasury concurred in the suggestion and
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forwarded it to the Secretary of War. It came shortly afterward to the Surgeon General, to whom the offer was most acceptable. The communication was referred to the medical supply officer at New York for consideration, the result of which is as follows:5
Now the question of inspectors as referred to by you in the official communication. I have made a provision which is absolutely fair and square, free from politics, and assuring us the very highest class of service by the most-trained experts in the United States. If you will recall, not very long ago, you sent me a communication addressed to your office by the Secretary of the Treasury placing the services of the customs appraisers throughout the United States at our disposal. This morning I interviewed the appraiser personally, and submitted to him the whole plan of factory inspection by civilians. He is favorably inclined, and his organization is not only in New York but from Los Angeles, Calif., to Portland, Me., and in all of the great cities. All that I will have to do is to notify him that a certain proposed shipment of goods is now at a certain factory and send him the specifications of these goods; he will then direct by telegraph the nearest expert in that particular line to proceed to the factory and make the inspection, reporting to him by telegraph, so that the action will be immediate. You can see for yourself what a mighty field this opens to us and will give us the impartial judgment of Federal employees trained to the service, we to pay the traveling expenses of these men, who are already under salary, at the rates allowed in accordance with Army Regulations.
The appraiser will write me a letter and take it up at the same time with the Secretary of the Treasury, and no doubt a most satisfactory arrangement can be made between the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of War, which will protect the Government. I myself have observed in many dealings with these people that at the very mention of the appraiser’s office a great respect is produced and a fluctuation downward in prices indicated.
As I stated before, these men are the most expert in the United States, trained to consider values and make adjustments and constantly called in legal matters when suits are instituted to give a fair valuation.
When the time comes for making a contract, I would suggest to the appraiser that he send me an expert in the line that I am dealing in, and I will take his advice in the matter of what should be a just price for a certain article which would be in consideration with what prices had already been previously paid and market conditions at the present time; and I would then be able to furnish all the data thus collected to Washington for final adjustment.
The chief of the comparative valuation report bureau in the appraiser’s office learned of the plan to call department-store buyers and executives from civil life to serve as inspectors on Government contracts. He was convinced that such work could be done more effectively and at less expense by examiners from the offices of the various appraisers of merchandise. The comparative valuation reports bureau was to act as a central exchange and clearing house for all such activities.4 This led the appraiser on May 15, 1917,3 to renew his suggestion to the Secretary of the Treasury for the utilization of his force in the examination of Army supplies applying the suggestion more particularly to the Medical Department. This offer was transmitted May 24, 1917, to the Secretary of War, approved by the Secretary of theTreasury,6 and was formally accepted by the Acting Secretary of War on June 9, 1917.7
The plan proposed by the appraiser at New York contemplated that his office would handle all matters relating to the inspection of Medical Department supplies in all parts of the United States. The letter of the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury to the appraiser approving the plan contained these instructions :
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You are requested to inform Colonel Snyder that if he will cause this department to be informed when he desires the assistance of appraising officers at other ports in passing upon purchases in their respective vicinities such officers will be directed, so far as practicable, to give such assistance, the expenses connected therewith to be borne by the Army.
After deliveries began to be made in considerable quantities it became difficult and inconvenient to obtain authority from the Secretary of the Treasury each time that an inspection was desired at a point outside the port of New York. To overcome this difficulty the Secretary of War, on June 15, 1917, made the following : 9
In view of the large quantities of medical supplies which are being purchased, it seems probable that the Medical Department of the Army will desire to frequently avail itself of the services of the appraisers, and information is desired as to whether it will be necessary to take the matter up formally each time, as has been done in this instance, or whether arrangements could be made whereby the medical officers of the Army could communicate direct from time to time, as needed.
The Secretary of the Treasury acceded to the suggestion of the Secretary of War and issued the following letter of instructions: 10
In view of the technical equipment of the several appraisers’ offices and the peculiar qualifications of the examiners for assisting the War and Navy Departments in passing upon supplies which they may have to purchase, appraising officers are requested to render such assistance to Army and Navy purchasing officers, upon their written request therefor, as the appraising officers may be able to furnish without detriment to the usual customs work of their respective offices.
The Secretary of War states that the extra expenses necessarily incurred in rendering such assistance to the War Department will be borne by the proper Army appropriations chargeable, through settlements by the respective auditors by transfers to adjust the appropriations involved. It is expected that a similar arrangement will he made by the Navy Department when availing itself of the assistance of appraising officers.
Appraising officers and employees in their offices performing services hereunder will be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses from the customs appropriations upon submission of proper vouchers to the collector of customs, the vouchers to have attached thereto the letters of the Army and Navy officers requesting the services.
Upon submission of vouchers claiming reimbursement, collectors will transmit the same to the department in the usual manner for approval. As soon as practicable after the 1st of the month, a statement of the vouchers paid for such services during the preceding month should be forwarded to the department, the statement to contain the voucher numbers, name of payees, and the amounts paid.
The examiners of merchandise in making inspections of supplies for the Medical Department incurred expenses for which they were entitled to reimbursement. Appropriations were available for the payment of these expenses. To secure reimbursement the examiners at first submitted appropriate vouchers therefor to the Surgeon General through the medical supply officer who had requested their services. Under existing regulations these vouchers were forwarded to the Treasury Department for payment direct to the examiner out of the appropriation, “Medical and Hospital Department.” This procedure resulted in prolonged delay in the receipt by the examiner of reimbursement for the money paid out of his personal funds. It resulted in hardships and some discontent. The procedure was soon changed so that reimbursements were promptly made and all dissatisfaction removed.11
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On June 9, 1917, all purchasing medical supply depots were instructed to avail themselves of the services of the appraiser’s personnel whenever supplies were to be accepted at point ofmanufacture.12 It will be noted that the instructions of the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury of June 29, 1917, authorized any purchasing officer of the Army to apply directly to the nearest appraiser for assistance in making inspections. The Assistant Secretary suggested July 24, 1917,that inspections for medical supply depots be handled through the appraiser at New York.13 This procedure was observed thereafter until the need for inspections ceased after the armistice was signed.
The medical supply officer and the appraiser at New York were the points of contact and the channel of communication between the Medical Department of the Army and the customs service of the Treasury on all matters relating to cooperation between the two services in the inspection of supplies. An agreement was reached between these two officials in the latter part of July, 1917, for a deputy appraiser to take over the entire inspection service of the New York medical supply depot. Under this agreement the deputy appraiser was to establish an office in the supply depot, handle local and distant inspections, and utilize the appraiser’s force according to his best judgement. 14
As purchases of supplies and volume of deliveries increased, it became necessary for the New York depot to organize a department of its own to handle other matters relating to inspections. The deputy appraiser’s office returned to the appraiser’s building in New York just across the street from the medical supply depot. The officer in charge of the inspection department in the depot, thereafter, arranged with the appraiser’s service for the inspections.
In this manner there was placed at the disposal of the Medical Department for the inspection of its supplies the services of a large body of highly trained technical personnel. The services of this force were entirely satisfactory throughout the period during which they were rendered and were of the highest value. This personnel had experts with special knowledge of the composition, values, and manufacturing processes of various commodities, an expert for every commodity. In addition the appraisers’ stores were equipped with chemical laboratories, conditioning rooms, apparatus for determining the weights of yarn, counts of yarn, number of threads to the inch in fabrics, and facilities for making various examinations. There were also available analysts and technical experts of various other lines. On notice from the depots and the contractors, the chief appraiser at New York was able to send highly trained examiners from the office of the appraisers nearest to the place of manufacture to the factories. These men inspected the raw material, the process of manufacture under which the purchase was made, and the finished articles. As they made their inspection they certified with a stamp or label such articles amid containers as conformed to the requirements of the contracts. They checked deliveries and made reports of acceptance or rejections to guide the purchasing officers in their final action.4
The volume of inspection at first required was comparatively small; but as deliveries began to increase in volume in the fall of 1917, the number of examinations to be made rapidly increased. This called for a corresponding increase in the number of appraisers assigned to duty as inspectors. The force
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of inspectors greatly increased until at the time the armistice was signed it numbered about 150men, of the appraisers’ force, operating from nearly all the ports.4 Many of these men were on full duty on these inspections; others gave only part time. The custom of selecting inspectors, as far as practicable, from the port nearest the place of manufacture for the necessary examinations continued throughout the war. Inspections were made in nearly every State. They covered merchandise of a very wide range of articles. The inspections included surgical instruments, clinical thermometers, operating-room equipment, chemical glassware, artificial limbs, soaps, and foodstuffs. They also included mattresses, beds and bedding, operating gowns, sutures, surgical dressings, surgical and dental instruments, wooden and glassware, paper, and a great variety of other articles.4
Such technical examinations as could not be made by the inspector in the field were made at the laboratory at the appraiser’s warehouse in New York, where the chief chemist had charge of the work. There, specifications were developed and methods of examinations standardized. Manufacturing processes were studied and improvements suggested wherever practicable.4
The services of the customs inspectors were utilized to the fullest extent in all purchases made by the medical supply depot at New York, from the very beginning of the war. The purchasing officers at the other depots were authorized and instructed to avail themselves of the facilities of the Treasury Department in the making of inspections on the articles being purchased by them. For many months the other depots availed themselves to a very limited extent of these facilities except in the inspections of surgical gauze. As the number and extent of inspections required were swelled by the ever-rising volume of supplies being purchased, it was considered desirable to utilize the services of the appraisers for all purchases except pharmaceuticals. Accordingly instructions were issued to that effect August 17, 1918.15 The purchasing agencies of the Medical Department were instructed to forward to the Surgeon General’s Office an additional copy of all contracts placed by them. These copies were then sent to the New York depot for use of the examiners of the appraisers service.16 The inspection department of that depot, thereafter, had charge of inspection made for other depots as well as its own. In a number of contracts ,purchase was made by sample, and inspections could not be made without the sample or adequate specifications. Samples were sent to the appraisers’ laboratory, where specifications were prepared for them, upon which inspection could be made at the place of production. By the time the armistice was signed the appraisers’ service had developed working specifications for a majority of the articles purchased by the Medical Department. Theses specifications, while many of them were not ideal, provided satisfactory materials for the period.
In the inspection of laboratory apparatus and instruments of precision a somewhat different procedure obtained. During 1918 these were purchased at the field medical supply depot, Washington. Because of the proximity of that depot to the United States Bureau of Standards, final determination of articles of these classes were made by the bureau. 17 The facilities of the
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bureau were available, and its examinations were accepted as final in all disputes. Its facilities were the most complete of any laboratory in the United States and the Medical Department had for many years availed itself of them. The officer in charge of the Washington depot also was thoroughly familiar with apparatus of those types of supplies.
For the inspection of motor ambulances units of highly trained personnel were developed and assigned to the establishments manufacturing the bodies and assembling the chassis. These units followed the production through all the manufacturing processes in the body factories and the assembling processes at the chassis factory. The personnel of these units were utilized in the inspection of litters and field litter carriers manufactured at the same plants or in their vicinity.
It has already been noted that the Medical Department at the beginning of 1917, had two chemical laboratories devoted to the examination of drugs, medicines, and antiseptics. The facilities of these laboratories, while limited, had been ample for all the examinations devolving upon them in time of peace. It was expected, in making plans early in 1917, to expand these facilities by the addition of such chemists, skilled in pharmaceutical analysis, as might be necessary. The laboratory space was limited in both of them. The expansion of personnel did not keep pace with the rising tide of supplies to be examined. The work began to lag. Examinations fell behind the receipt of supplies. Prolonged delays in the acceptance of supplies delivered were common because of failure to receive reports from the laboratories.
The volume of work kept on increasing, and it became evident in the spring of 1918 that measures must be taken to increase these facilities and to speed up the examinations. Accordingly instructions were sent to the New York depot in May to investigate the possibilities of having the examination of pharmaceutical products made at the point of manufacture and elsewhere by the United States appraisers.18 If such examinations could be made at places of manufacture some time might be saved in the acceptance of the supplies. While the appraisers’ laboratory at New York was equipped for chemical analysis, the plan for inspections in the field was finally discarded in favor of expansion of existing facilities. It appeared logical to take advantage of the knowledge of the heads of the established Medical Department laboratories, and to increase the number of assistants in them. The knowledge of the men in charge of those laboratories was highly technical, had been gained by years of experience, and could not be duplicated in any other establishment.19
The average analytical chemist has little or no knowledge of pharmaceuticals, and as this country has never been an importer of pharmaceuticals, it is fair to assume that the United States appraisers’ chemists have had little or no experience in handling pharmaceuticals. They could as say straight chemicals, of course, but when tablets, ointments, etc., were presented to them, they could not possibly make an intelligent decision unless the chemist handling such items had had special pharmaceutical training, either in the Government laboratories or in the laboratories of some large pharmaceutical manufacturer.19
Considerable difficulty was experienced in obtaining drugs, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals of equality sufficient to pass the standard requirements.
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inexperienced new manufacturers, lured by the immense quantities required and the fancied profits in them, were undertaking to make various chemical and pharmaceutical compounds. Old established firms were making products with the processes with which they were unfamiliar. It was considered necessary to call for preliminary samples from the successful bidders before award was made in order to determine their abilities to produce articles of the required standard. These preliminary samples, if found satisfactory, were considered in comparison with samples taken from deliveries. These preliminary examinations added greatly to the amount of analytical work required at the laboratories.19
The testing of pharmaceuticals to be shipped direct to ports of embarkation introduced another difficult problem. Here the time element was short because of the urgency of the demand. The examination of preliminary samples reduced the likelihood of unsuitable materials being shipped but could not eliminate the need for other tests just before shipments were made. If unsatisfactory materials were delivered the mistake would be detected and the use of the medicine could be prevented by cable to the medical supply depot inFrance.19
It was decided, therefore, to expand the existing laboratories at Washington and New York and to employ additional chemists. Appropriate instructions were issued. The officer in charge of the New York depot reported that there would be no difficulty in enlarging the laboratory space and in providing clerical personnel.20 Five enlisted men, classified as analytical or pharmaceutical chemists, were ordered to the laboratory at the New York depot and a corresponding number to the laboratory in Washington in June, 1918. While nothing was known of the technical abilities of these men, it was thought that from them a sufficient number could be selected to handle the work in a satisfactory manner. 21
This expansion of existing laboratories gave relief and met the requirements for a limited time. But the flood of examinations required kept steadily rising, and the facilities failed to meet the demand with celerity. Delays in deliveries of medicines, because of the inadequacy of laboratory facilities, began to increase.22 In August relief from this situation became necessary. It was thought that colleges of pharmacy and other laboratories in various cities might be able and willing to do this work. Instructions were sent August 7, 1918, to the officers in charge of the medical supply depots at Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, and St. Louis to communicate with reputable colleges of pharmacy located in those cities and to arrange with one or more of them to examine samples of pharmaceuticals. If satisfactory arrangements could be made with such colleges, samples of medicines delivered at these depots were to be sent to them. Reports of the examinations were to be sent directly to the depot submitting thesample.23 At this time all medicines were purchased by the general purchasing office, Medical Department, in Washington, and all shipments were made to distributing depots direct from the manufacturer without examination. Examinations and acceptances were made after arrival of the shipment at destination. The receiving depot accepted the articles if the examinations warranted it, took up the property on the depot return, and forwarded a formal acknowledgment to the Surgeon General’s Office, which served
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as the basis for payment. Hence the need for the receiving depot to receive reports of examination as promptly as possible.
Favorable reports were received from Philadelphia,24 Chicago,25 and St. Louis.26 The college of pharmacy in Atlanta was unable to undertake the work.27 The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, Pa.; the University of Illinois School of Pharmacy, Chicago, Ill.; and the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, St. Louis, Mo., all readily agreed to undertake this work. The former two colleges preferred to do the work gratuitously, while the latter agreed to do it at a small flat rate. As none of the schools were in session until September, the plan was not put into effect until the first of that month.28 In Chicago the local branch of the Bureau of Chemistry, Department of Agriculture, was willing and rather anxious to assist in this work.25 Authority was given August 28, 1918, the medical supply depots at Chicago, Philadelphia, and St. Louis to have examinations of medicines received on direct shipments from the manufacturers made at the local institutions with which the arrangements had been made. They were instructed, however, to send a sample to the laboratory at New York or Washington for a confirmatory examination when the local report rejected the sample. The findings of those laboratories determined the final action in the premises.
In the matter of inspection of its supplies throughout the war the Medical Department was exceedingly fortunate in having an adequate force of highly efficient inspectors. While in many articles it was necessary to lower the peace-time standards or to change them entirely, the articles received conformed to the stipulations of the contracts under which they were purchased. The wording of these stipulations, too, was improved and made more clear and definite through the suggestion and cooperation of the inspectors. A high standard of production was continually maintained. Much of the credit of this is due to the system of inspection employed. The interests of the Government were well protected.
REFERENCES
(1) Letter from Capt. D. W. Fetterolf, M. C., Army Medical School, Washington D. C., to Col. Edwin P. Wolfe, M. C., March 25, 1927. Subject: Establishment and operation of the medical laboratory at the
New York Medical Supply Depot. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 713-539/1239.
(2) Letters from the Surgeon General to the officers in charge, Medical Supply Depots, Washington, St. Louis, and San Francisco, May 9, 1917. Subject: Inspection of supplies. On file, Finance and
Supply Division, S. G. O., 19374-38-A. B. C.
(3) Letter from the Appraiser of Merchandise, port of New York, N.Y., to the Secretary of the Treasury, May 15, 1917, relative to cooperation between the merchandise examiners of his office and the
Army and Navy, in inspection of supplies. On file, Finance and Supply Division S. G. O., 181-500-a.
(4) Report of the appraiser’s activities, port of New York, during the war period, furnished the Secretary of the Treasury, April 1917, by Henry F. Bush, Inspector of Customs, New York, N. Y. On file,
Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 753-539 N. Y./1248.
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(5) Letter from Lieut. Col. H. D. Snyder, M. C., New York, N.Y., to Lieut. Col. H. C. Fisher, M. C., Surgeon General’s Office, Washington, D. C., May 12, 1917,relative to inspectors for medical
and hospital supplies. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S.G. O., 14374
(6) Letter from the Secretary of the Treasury to the Secretary of War, May 24, 1917,transmitting correspondence from the appraisers of merchandise, New York. On file, Record Room, S. G. O.,
181000 (Old Files).
(7) Letter from the Acting Secretary of War to the Secretary of the Treasury, June 9, 1917,formally accepting the offer of assistance by the inspectors of merchandise in the customs service.
On file, Record Room, S. G. O., 181000-c (Old Files).
(8) Letter from the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury to the appraisers of merchandise, New York, N. Y., May 24, 1917, relative to assistance to be rendered to the Medical Supply Depot, New York,
by the merchandise examiners in the appraiser’s office. On file, Record Room, S. G. O., 181000-b (Old Files).
(9) Letter from the Secretary of War to the Secretary of the Treasury, June 15, 1917, relative to examination of medical and hospital supplies by examiners of the appraisers’ service. On file, Record
Room, S. G. O., 181000-h (Old Files).
(10) Letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, June 29,1917, to the collectors of customs and appraisers of merchandise, relative to the assistance of merchandise examiners of the appraisers’ offices
in inspecting supplies for the Medical Department. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 11640.
(11) Correspondence between the officer in charge, Medical Supply Depot, New York, the Surgeon General of the Army, and the Auditor for the War Department, September 18, 1917, to October 29, 1917,
inclusive. Subject: Accounts for traveling expenses of customs inspectors. On file, Record Room, S. G.O.,181000-M to V, Incl., (Old Files).
(12) Letters from the Surgeon General to the officers in charge, Medical Supply Depots, New York, Washington, St. Louis, and San Francisco, June 9, 1917. Subject: Inspection of supplies purchased. On file,
Record Room, S. G.O.,18100-E, F, G, H (Old Files).
(13) Letter from the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury to the Secretary of War, July 24, 1917,relative to inspection of medical and hospital supplies by examiners of the appraisers’ service. On file, Record
Room, S. G. O., 181000 J-1 (Old Files).
(14) Letter from the medical supply officer, Medical Supply Depot, New York, to the Surgeon General, July 30, 1917. Subject: Inspectors for the medical supply depot. On file, Record Room, S. G. O., 181000-k (Old Files).
(15) Letter from the Surgeon General to the officers in charge, Medical Supply Depots, St .Louis, Washington, August 15, 1918. Subject: Copies of contracts for inspection system. On file, Finance and Supply
Division, S. G. O., 713-539/921.
(16) Letter from the Surgeon General to the officer in charge, Field Medical Supply Depot, Washington, D. C., October 9, 1918. Subject: Specifications for mess and cooks’ chests. On file, Finance and Supply
Division, S. G.O., 713-539 N. Y./1020.
(17) Letter from the officer in charge, Field Medical Supply Depot, Washington, D. C., to the Surgeon General, October 31, 1918. Subject: Inspection of supplies. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G.O.,
713-750 Wash./ 486.
(18) Letter from the Surgeon General to the officer in charge, Medical Supply Depot, New York, May 11, 1918. Subject: Inspection of medical supplies by Treasury inspectors. On file, Finance and Supply Division,
S. G.O., 713-539/656.
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(19) Memorandum for Colonel Darnall from Capt. Frank L. McCartney, S. C., General Purchasing Office, Medical Department, May 29, 1918. Subject: Inspection of the drugs U. S. appraisers. On file, Finance
and Supply Division, S. G. O., 713-539 N. Y./656.
(20) Letter from the officer in charge, Medical Supply Depot, New York, to the Surgeon General, June 7, 1918. Subject: Inspection of drugs. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 713-539 N. Y./ 656.
(21) Letter from the Surgeon General to the officer in charge, Medical Supply Depot, New York, June 13, 1918. Subject: Inspection of drugs. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 713-539 N. Y./656.
(22) Letter from the Surgeon General to the officer in charge, Medical Supply Depot, St. Louis, August 7, 1918. Subject: Examination of medicines and antiseptics. On file, Finance and Supply
Division, S. G.O., 713-Misc./69.
(23) Letters from the Surgeon General to the officers in charge, Medical Supply Depots ,Atlanta, Ga., Chicago, Ill., Philadelphia, Pa., June 7, 1918. Subject: Examination of drugs. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G.O., 713-Misc./69.
(24) Letter from the medical supply officer, Philadelphia, Pa., to the Surgeon General, August 12, 1918. Subject: Examination of drugs. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 713-Misc./69.
(25) Letter from the officer in charge, Medical Supply Depot, Chicago, Ill., to the Surgeon General, August 24, 1918. Subject: Examination of drugs. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G. O., 713-Misc./69.
(26) Letter from the officer in charge, Medical Supply Depot, St. Louis, Mo., to the Surgeon General, September 4, 1918. Subject: Examination of medicines and antiseptics. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G.O., 713-Misc./69.
(27) Letter from the medical supply officer, Medical Supply Depot, Atlanta, Ga., to the Surgeon General, August 15, 1918. Subject: Examination of drugs. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G.O., 713-Misc./69.
(28) Letters from the Surgeon General to the officers in charge, Medical Supply Depots, Philadelphia, Pa., and Chicago, Ill., August 28, 1918. Subject: Examination of medicines. On file, Finance and Supply Division, S. G.O.,713-Misc./69.
