Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-07-19
Womenin the Bed Cross.

tated against their success, Inc Amer
lean Red Cross has lately settled on a
plan which will correct this condition in
at least one important respect. This
has been done by the organization of
the so-caled Women's First Aid De-
tachments. New as these detachments
are to this country they are by no means
new in certain other nations where
universally they have had the coun-
tenance and support of the highest au
thority and the most distinguished people.
To take only one example, the Czarina
is at the head of this movement in
Russia.
The purpose of these detachments
with us, which while similar is not
identical with that in other countries,
is to afford women instruction in first
aid, home nursing, cooking and diet
cooking, the preparation of rooms,
buildings, etc., for the reception of the
i'll and injured, with, in some instances,
ost-graduate courses in personal
hygiene and sanitation. Moreover,
naturally they serve to stimulate in
terest in Red Cross work in general.
In order to prepare the detachments
for the performance of their duties the
American Red Cross has arranged a
graduated course of instruction extend
ing over two or three years, as the case
may be. The first year ten lectures are
given on first aid and ten on nursing.
The second year cooking is taught in
twelve lessons and diet cooking in two.
Six periods are also devoted to teaching
what it will be necessary to provide to
take care of the sick or hurt in an
emergency with proper arrangements
for such articles in any place set side
for the purpose. A postgraduate
course of twenty lectures on personal
hygiene and sanitation is given, but
this is not compulsory.
The members of these attachments
are permitted to enroll after passing
the required examinations at the end of
the first year. 1t must be distinctly
understood that these women are in no
sense Red Cross nurses. From the in
struction received they are, however,
individually much better prepared to
take emergency care of the family and
others in case of illness or injury and
the detachments as such have clear
field of their own as an auxiliary corps.
They will find an important field of en-
ployment in civil functions where great
numbers of people are assembled. Now
adays it is generally regarded as essen
tial that emergency care should be pro
vided for the i'll and injured. At such
times doctors and nurses will not be
lacking, but Women's Detachments are
required to get together the necessary
materials and to take care of the house
keeping end of these relief stations
Moreover there is not infrequently ar
opportunity for first aid on their part.
In war, every nation except our owr
has long recognized the value of such
corps. Throughout Japan during the
Russo-Japanese War special relief sta
tons which they helped to organize ano
participated in were found at every
point where railroad trains stopped fol
any length of time.
The honor of organizing the frs
Women's First Aid Detachment in thu
United States belongs to Washington
D. c., where during the winter of l91.
and 1912 this work was begun. One O.
the most interesting features of tn
International Red Cross Conferenc,
held in May, 1912, at Washington, D
c.. was a first aid to the injured com
petition held for different classes whicl
had been taught first aid under Re-
Cross auspices. Miners teams com
: peted among themselves as well as Bo
u Scouts, policemen, firemen, the Hospits
Corps of the u. S. Army and a Re
g Cross Field Corps from Chicago, III
: Interesting as these contests were the
J. were not ahead of one solely for women
S Four teams competed in this, all O
II which belonged to the Washington De
- tachment of the American Red Gross
y This detachment, with members in
specially designed, attractive, blue un
form, made a showing in first aiC
which was witness to their intelligence
l. earnestness of purpose and exceller
IS instruction. One of the daughters {
Re the Secretary of the Navy captained
II team, and the captain of another wa
1t the daughter Of the Assistant Secretar
: of War. This made it in measure
N service contest with partisanship rur
n ming as high as at the Army and Nav
lie football game. This, of course, Wa
rr only of Importance in showing whi
s. these detachments can be taught to c
IS in one particular line of their worl
II The success in other directions of IL
'e American Red Cross assures, that ha