The St. Johns herald., 1890-01-23
RED CROSS SOCIETY.
Information RegsFdi ,g Its O-sa airls.ior
 Extent and Method or Work.

Information Regardi g Its Organization,
 Extent and Method or Work.
 The Red Cross Society is an organ ization for the purpose of securing neutrality to the ground occupied by hospitals, etc, during war. and to pro vide relief from disasters by food, pes tlence or other calamity during peace. The movement had its origin in Eu- rope After the battle of Solferino, in 1859, Henry Dunant. Swiss gentle man, visited the battlefield, and spent several days there assisting in the care of the wounded. He was much impressed by the sight of terrible suf- ferings caused through lack of sufi- cient appliances and help for the care of the wounded. In 1862 he published a description of wh9t he had seen, set ting forth reasons for establishing in every country permanent societies for the relief Of the wounded in war. His article was immediately translated into several European languages, and made deep impression. 4 society in Geneva, Switzerland, called the Geneva Society of Public Unity, appointed committee, at the head of which was General Dufour, the General-in-Chief of the Swiss Confederation, for the purpose of carrying out the proposals Of Dunant. This led to an international conference held at Geneva in October, 1863, which was attended by delegates from sixteen governments, and which called an international congress that met in Geneva in August, 1864. This body held a session of fortnight, and drew up treaty Of nine articles, which has since obtained the approval and adherence of every civilized na- tion of the globe. This treaty secured the naturalization of hospitals. mate rials, nurses and surgeons in time of war, and that these might be recog- niZed common design was fixed upon for the flags of hospitals and conveys, and the arm badge for pcrsons. This wGs Q red cross upon white ground, Q design adopted as 8 compliment to Switzerland, which has this design on her flags, with colors reversed. This association was introduced into the United States by Miss Barton, who had been in Europe during the Franco-German war, and seen the noble service accomplished there through its means. She was not, how ever, able to arouse much sympathy on the part of Congress at first, but she established the first American so- ciety of the Red Cross in Washington in 1877. President Arthur signed the Geneva treaty in 1882. The society founded by Miss Barton has now branch societies in several of tho States This society aims to be equipped, not for the war alone, but for all great calamities, having supplies and trained nurses to send out wherever needed. Much good work was done by it in the floods on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in Feb rusry and March, 1884, and by giving relief to sufferers by the earthquake in Charleston in 1886, and in the yellow fever epidemics in the South. Inc twentieth anniversary of the Red Cross Society was celebrated in its parent city, Geneva, in 1884. The occasion was made very interesting by an ex- hibit of how electric lights could be used on battle-felds at night in find ing the wounded and the slain. Other improved appliances for the good work of relief corps were also shown. cago Inter Ocean.