From years of experience in presenting the needs of the hospital service of the Army to Congress, I am convinced of the urgent necessity for economy along all lines of expenditure and activities. Economy does not necessarily mean the elimination of activities nor the discontinuance of the use of various articles in order to bring the gross expenditure within the sums appropriated. It does mean, however, that no greater quantity of any article, however insignificant, which may be issued to the user, shall be used for that purpose than is actually necessary to accomplish the results desired. It means that the services of employees shall be fully and efficiently used. It means that the articles which are not consumable in character shall be handled with such care and regard to their future usefulness as will continue them in efficient service for the greatest length of time. As an illustration, it is common practice among many physicians when writing prescriptions for various ailments to prescribe a four ounce mixture and to dismiss the patient. The same practice has obtained very largely in the hospital services of the Government. If, instead of issuing the usual four ounce mixture a two ounce, or a one ounce mixture had been prescribed, equally good results would have been obtained, since the patient in many instances actually takes only a quarter, a third or a half of the four ounce mixture, recovers from the ailment for which it was prescribed and throws the medicine away. This is particularly true in military practice. If the lesser quantity be prescribed and further medication be found necessary, the patient for whom it is prescribed will return to the doctor, giving him an opportunity for another and more complete physical examination and consideration of the remedy, of the result obtained and of any other more suitable, or have the prescription refilled if it be necessary. A dozen tablets should be dispensed in place of customary two or three dozen. In other words, in the hospitals and dispensary services of the Government the medicines issued should be in quantities not to exceed the retirements of three days. This will result not only in the saving of drugs themselves, as well as of bandages and surgical dressings issued, but will result in material saving in the cost of the containers in which they are issued. We too infrequently consider the sum which the aggregate saving of the few cents here and the few cents there will reach at the end of a year in the larger hospital services. With supplies abundant and seemingly easy to secure everyone who uses them is prone to become prodigal in their use and I cannot emphasize too strongly the need for economy along these lines. The application of the old saying, “take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves” to the every day use of supplies in hospitals would result in enormous savings at the end of the year.