The sun., 1914-08-16

ception OF the wounded. irrespective c'
nationality. said that the idea was an
excellent one.
You know" she said. surgery ana
medicine did not come into use on bat
tlenelds until late in the eighteenth
century, and then only In a casual way
The wounded, II their comrades could
not tarry to care for them, were simply
left TO die on the field, for very often
no kind Of surgical or medical assist
ance came until perhaps two or three
days after a battle"
In 1872 the French army introduced
flying hospitals. which gave but pr'-
mary and meagre aid TO the dying md
wounded and removed them from rhe
field. The system was improved year
by year. but until the organization Of
the Red Cross no real efficiency vas
obtained.
There is a great contrast between the
care of the sick, dying and wounded and
the dead to-day and In former times
To-day the Red Cross nurses and PLY
sicians 90 along with the army, as much
a part Of its equipment as it's officers Or
soldiers. They are in the thick OF the
battle, looking after the needs Of the
wounded Immediately.
The founder OF the Red Cross was
Jean Henri Durant, who was a ph.lan
throp!c resident OF Geneva, He charcef
To be present at battle in 1859 and saw
the vast amount OF unnecessary suffer.
ing caused by the inability Of the reEu
lar surgical corps TO care for the
wounded who were left on the field
after their comrades had gone on. He
published a book on this subject few
years later. in which he minutely de-
scribed the conditions as he saw them
and spoke OF a volunteer corps OF sur
gical helpers to augment the regular
force.
The publication of his book was the
signal for an agitation which resulted
in an international conference held N
Geneva in 1853. At that conference tb"
Geneva convention was signed which
neutralized the surgical corps OF hostile
, armies and volunteer societies earns
for the wounded in times OF battle. Tho
Red Cross nag (Gpneye flag, was
adopted as the symbol by which the IN
ternational society should be known
Since that time conventions ha'.
been annually held At Geneva IN which
reports are made of the work done ana
wavs and means are discussed for I'm
proving methods Men and women o'
means have been interested and have
given from their means for the WoTF
of the society. Nurses and phys.o.an'
have given their services unstintingly'
not only in times of war, but wheneVN
the services Of nurses and doctors have
been required. whether the need came
! from conflict between armies. railroad
disasters. floods, Ares or any OF lne
numerous calamities which have come
to cities and countries. The one ann
| of the officers Of the society has been
to have the most perfect, complete an
efficient organization Of It's kind WA't'
| could be had: 10 have It's member
whether of its executive STAFF, its aus
| iliary helpers or the actual workers ~
| the field. always ready for the CA
/ OF duty, no matter what the require
meuts.
That the American branch OF the Eel
| Cross has reached perhaps the h'el'~
point Of perfection in work in all -
! branches IS recognized by every com
trv in the world for there Is hardly q
country which has not sent. al soH',
! time time or other, nurses 10 be ua'n''
/ in It's methods in America. in order t"1.
these nurses could when called for dA'
! at home. not only perform better W"'
| themselves but instruct their fellow
iaborers in the methods adopted 10y t''
society In this country. Particular s'S
r'hcanca should bs attached to the iA''
! that Queen Fleonore OF RuR-F
wishes the nurses OF her country to ~
| trained after American methods.
, Mss Boardman herself Is a good eA
ample Of a woman brought up In INC