The Sanitary Commission of the United States Army : a succinct narrative of its works and purposes.
- Date:
- 1864
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The Sanitary Commission of the United States Army : a succinct narrative of its works and purposes. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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![The total amount of disbursements by tbe Treasurer np to the date of the above footings is nine hundred and eighty-five thou- sand four hundred and fifty-seven and j\\ dollars [$985,457 41]. The aggregate of the sums which have been expended by the numerous Branches and Aid Societies in the purchase of sanitary stores, &c., would amount to a much larger sum than the total receipts of the Central Treasury. Over such ex- penditures the Sanitary Commission exercises but little authority, but acts as the accredited adviser. Yet the more successful Branches, like those of Philadelphia,* Boston, Cleaveland, and elsewhere, practically hold their funds, as well as their stock of supplies, subject to oflicial orders from the Commission. This is manifestly the true theory of efiective and economical admin- istration of such auxiliary aid. The Women's Central Associa- tion of Relief, which was established in New York as a model for such Branches of supply, furnishes a perfect example in this respect.f The management of all details in the current expenditures of the Commission, is conducted with the same rigid exactness and rules of accountability that prevail in commercial life, and in * The following statement, which we copy from a recent report of the Phila- delphia Branch, very clearly sets forth the facts relating to the practical relation* of that flourishing auxiliary to the Sanitary Commission : * * * * * It will be observed that the large sum of $82,000 has been expended by the Philadelphia Agency, mainly for supplies. It. is pioper to remark, in explanation, tiiat the supplies purchas^ed with this money, have been bought by order of the Officers of the t}ommi8sion at Washington, and have beea forwarded to points desijinated by them. The Philadelphia Branch lias always been regarded by its Officers as an Agency of the Central Commission, in the strictest sense of the term. With the exeption of certain comparatively small Bums expended for local relief, they have considered all the funds collected by them as subject to the order and control of the Central Office, for the general purposes of the Commitsion. *******# * _* * .* * From the beginning, the Philadelphia Agency has maintained the policy he holding all its funds, except those required for local pur- poBes, at the disposal of those Officers of the Comniissiou whose duty it is to aa- certaiu where the greatest need exists.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21973593_0255.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
