The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-13

I'll WAS lOTHleu, ana among tne lAules
then appointed and still on II are AIDE.
line Duchess of Bedford. the March.
loness of Londonderry, the Marchioness
of Iansdownc, the Countess OF Derby
Countess Roberts, Georgiana Countess
Of Dudley, Lady Vantage. Lady Fisher
and Miss Ethel McCaul. 1t was when
presiding at the first meeting that Queen
Alexandra made one of the few speeche.
Of her life. and 1t concluded with the
| quotation that heads this chapter.
The appointment OF Miss McCaul to
this council had an important result
inasmuch as few months later she
went on a special mission with Queen
Alexandra's approval and commcnda-
ton to the Empress of Japan to study
the Red Cross methods of that marvel
lousy equipped army that stood up TO
! Russia in 1904, and many OF the lessons
then learned are influencing the work
| going on to-day.
In regard to the japanese system It
can only be said that the Army Medical
Service and the Red Cross are so closely
| interviewer as to be indistinguishable.
Each supports the other at every point.
on the outbreak of that war the Red
Cross Society's Hospital was in the
|
mitted to supply the army with nurses.
! IL was ready to do So. IL had built
up a reserve of no fewer than 5000
members. Implicit obedience" says
/ Miss McCaul, plays as great a part in
their training as the actual learning Of
/ nursing. Their gentleness of manner
and soft voices are not their only rec
concentration. their Intelligence and
1 p,ipknpeS ara let al. AJdnI n
/ these qualifications, they have the most
| perfect little hands and delicate touch"
But further Miss McCaul found that
the great ladies' of the country were
preparing themselves to render useful
aid At the famous Peeresses Schoo
she found all the pupils under regular
instruction In benevolent work" which
means stretcher drill, first aid and ban
dage making. For the latter. a girl
was given long piece OF calico, and
in a stated time it had to he torn. rolled
and finished for use. So admirably have
Japanese women learned this work that
they supplied every handage required in
the war. and not a single bought or
machine made one was used.
Then again, the Japanese system Of
choosing nurses-who. by the way,
have to pass two examinations, one as
to constitutional fitness and one as TO
education-is excellent. Their training
extends over three years, and after the
examinations If duly passed. they have
the privilege OF becoming army nurses
for the military reserve hospitals
Equally in their training Of male order
lies who must be men of superior social
class and good education. very hich
STANDARD was set up.
All this is reflected in the system Of
training that has been encouraged 10y
the British Rcd Cross Society in recent
years. Steady preparation has been 60
ing on, women have formed their volun-
tary aid detachments on lines to he
complementary to that of men. and for
the first time we have a centralized au-
thority to make use Of all nursing as
sistance as it is required for the two
fields of service for which especially the
Red Cross Society has accepted respon-
sibi.ity. one Of these is the provision
Of supplemental aid for the sick and
wounded in the field: the other is that
Of the hospitals OF the Territorial Force
and To this latter another chapter must
be devoted
Two days after war was declared the
signed by Queen Alexandra in her ca
pacity Of president The Duke and
Duchess Of Devonshire promptly offered
the use of Devonshre House for the
vast work that would he involved. and
here Sir Frederick TreveS. the Countess
Of Dudley and many more gan their
work on a systematic plan. Particular
branches of the work were assigned to
different nDnpln and thnIIgh At fir.
there was naturally some confusion, or
der was soon evo.ved and all began to
run with perfect smoothness. Queen
Amelie of Portugal was an early WISH
tor. and was SO much impressed at the
magnitude of the labors involved that
she offered her personal help wherever
il could be most usefully employed.
which proved tn be in the onerous but
necessary work of checking clerk
Lady Clifford who had nursed in
South Africa and has since been much
associated with hospital work with Mrs
Ludlow, K. r. c., who was matron OF
hospital at Ladysmlth and has since
been matron of large hospital in Lon
don undertook the department of the
selection or nurses. Both at the War
ONCE and Admiralty hundreds Of nurses,
good, bad and Indifferent, offered them
selves for service in the early weeks OF
the war, but one and all were referred
To the Red Cross Society. where as
many as fifty a day were interviewed
by these two ladies. As a fact they
had the choice Of the very hest ma
terial, though the standard they set up
was exceedingly high, and Intentionally
so, as there was rigid determination to
keep out the amateur nurse, the mere
sentimentalist or even the adventures
who sees possibilities at such times
Nothing short OF a three years course
of training at recognized hospital was
accepted, while further testimonials
were also required A register was
formed, and as the necessities for hos
pital assistance began TO declare them
selves the society was ready to meet
them in equipment and personnel. In
the original scheme OF operations in
France 1t was intended to place large
base hospital AT Rouen, and among
the first TO go out to make the neces-
sary preliminary arrangements was
Surgeon General Sir Alfred Keugh.
Thanks TO the generosity of a lady, |
there was also to he rest station at
Boulogne, where the wounded could
spend few hours after the fatgues