Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-24
JAPAN'S RED CROSS
Society There Among the
Largest and Richest.
WORK ON BATTLEFIELDS
Relief to Sick and Wounded During
Chino-Japanese and Russo
japanese Wars.
From the Oriental Review.

From the Oriental Review.
The Red Cross Society of Japan is not
only one of the biggest but 1t is also one
OF the best organized Of the Red Cross
societies of the world. 1t has q member
ship of more than 100000. it's property
is estimated to be worth SIS, 10000 ana
it's annual income is $500. 600
Well known. too. is 1t that the society
found II possible to render really re-
markable service in the relief Of the Ill
and wounded Of the opposing forces dur
ing the Chino-Japanese and Russo-Japa-
nese wars. With the increase of Its pow
err and influence in those times. 1t immedi-
ately began to extend its activities to
relief work Of an international nature.
During the past five years the society
its hospital ships and reserve hospitals
took care of the i'll and wounded of the
allied forces. and it easily won the ap-
probation Of the powers for the excellence
of its work. In the recent revolutionary
outbreaks in China 1t sent relief corps to
Hankow. China. and attended to 5000
of the Ill and wounded
In the absence of an effective Red Cross
organization in China, the work done by
the Japanese earned the genuine appre-
citation of the Chinese people. At the
time of the San Francisco earthquake 1t
contributed 100000 yen ($0OOOOO to the
relief fund, and at the time of the earth
Relief in Peace Times.
The most remarkable feature of the &C.
tivities of the Red Cross Society OF japan.
however, is undoubtedly its relief work
in time of peace. 1t has local stations
or sections all over the country and each
in time of stress and trouble. In way
this is keeping up the efficiency of the
society's medical staff and nurses for the
more serious business Of war.
During the Boxer troubles In north China
gave disaster relief in $50 cases. and
treated In all 69.958 patients. With the
increase of accidents, due to the progress
of industries and communications, the i'm
portance of such relief work becomes
more and more apparent. The greatest
emphasis as to the Importance of such
work has been brought to the attention
of the world by the gift Of $4,000 by the
| Empress of Japan to the Red Cross So
ciety, the income from which is to be
| devoted to relief work in time Of peace.
Medical Officer in War.
The japanese nation was the first to
recognize the true value of the medical
/ officer in time of war-that his place
was at the front Of an army, to prevent
disease as we'll as at the rear. to cure it.
They completely reversed the usual sta
tistics and instead of losing ten men
from disease to one from battle casual
ties. they lost three from battle casualties
to one from disease, thus creating rec
ord heretofore unheard of in the annals of
war.
Long before hostilities began they es-
tablished the most magnificent Red Cross
Society the world has ever seen. which
today numbers nearly 100000 members.
with an emergency fund of over $780,
600. They organized a medical corps
| which taught the world that the first duty
of it's officers was not to cure disease but
,, to prevent 1t. and they gave these officers
sufficient authority to enforce the meas
| ures that would and that did prevent 1t.
They had as an auxiliary to this corps
no less than 1900 sanitary soldiers whose
duty it was to carry out the sanitary
measures that would prevent disease.
Such assistants are unknown in our army
They sent their men ahead with scouts.
| to examine the water supplies and es-
tablish stations for boiling it. SO the adj
| vancing columns would not be exposed to
diseases contracted through Its impure
ties, to all Of which l can testify from
personal observation.
They taught their officers that to oper-
ate on the field OF battle, except where
death was imminent from nemorrhage,
was crime, because such operation could
not be performed under aseptic condi-
tons: they taught their army the value of
cleaniness-every soldier had his bath al
most daily, and on the eve of every battle
the soldier bathed with special care and
put on fresh underwear.