When we saw this, we were very grateful that the hospital supply chain has been modernized.
The Civil War brought unprecedented injury rates to the battlefield, driven by new weapons and military strategies. Battlefield medicine evolved quickly, but nearly two million soldiers would need a place to convalesce beyond field hospitals set up in local homes or churches. New hospitals were constructed in city centers in both the North and the South in the 1860s. The style of these new buildings reflected emerging science about the importance of ventilation. They used “pavilion” style architecture with large wards, capable of housing thousands of patients.
The Boston Athenaeum, a membership library, gave us a glimpse at the challenges of supplying so many patients in newly-centralized facilities. One of the historical items featured at the Athenaeum is a sample sewing pattern, pictured above. The pattern was meant to be used by women volunteers for Ladies’ Aid Society, instructing them to cut and sew hospital slippers for injured soldiers from carpet scraps. One pair of slippers required “only” one hour to make.
Slippers have been a symbol of comfort for hospital patients for generations. Everyone wants to feel cared for during their hospital stays, both yesterday and today. We’re proud to help our health system partners to continue to soothe patients. Our hats are off to the Ladies Aid Societies of centuries past, and we’ll carry on their tradition with our own products to comfort and care for patients’ needs.
To learn how you can comfort your patients with high-quality, best-fitting, non-slip slipper socks – without sewing them yourself – please contact ASP Global at info@aspglobal.com
