The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-07-14

(By Stephen II. Morgan, N. w
The publication of letter of mine
in The New York Evening Post tell.
ing of the first red cross nurses found
ed by st. Camillus de Lellis in 1886,
brought out so many letters of inquiry
for further facts on the subject that
it appears to be little bit of I'M
familiar history worth retelling at this
time.
AS some of the American Red Cross
people seemed to doubt the St. Camil-
lus origin of the Red Cross, as a badge
for nurses, turned to their sources of
information, and find the U. S. Gov
eminent publication freely distributed
at public expense called "The Ameri-
can Red Cross" revised April 2, 1917
on page Is in it's Brief History of the
Red Cross" begins: "The sufferings of
soldiers in the Crimean War first d.
rected the worlds humaner impulses
toward measures for the systematic
care of the wounded"
Clara Barton in her ".The Story of
the Red Cross" says: "Some 200 years
ago a few regimental doctors were
provided for armies. Only however
when Florence Nightingale went to the
Crimea was a nurse for the sick or
wounded soldiers ever heard Of"
Now the modern Red Cross organiza-
ton of nurses was founded by hui
manitarian Swiss named Jean Henri
Dunant who wrote his experiences at
the Battle of Solferino, June "a, 1859.
This book Clara Barton and every one
interested in Red Cross history must
be familiar with: On page 80 Mr.. Dun
ant tells of the work of the Sisters of
Charity nursing the wounded and sick
soldiers during the Crimean War of
1854 Still Clara Barton was blind to
the work of Catholic orders.
How anyone can write about nurs-
ing the sick and wounded on the battle
fields and during the plaques without
referring to St. Camillus de Lellis can
only be accounted for by the blindness
that comes to those who do not want
to see.
In 1850 there was published by the
Congregation of St. Philip Neri in Lon
don, life of ST. Camillus in two vol
umes. These books were also sold
by Edward DUNCAN and Brother in the
United States that same year.
Father Cicatelli, one of the early
Red Cross nurses, wrote life of st.
Camillus few years after the saint 8
death. This work went through many
editions. AS St. Camillus was can
onized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746
the edition revised by Father Dolera,
Rome 1749, is the most complete. This
year Benziger Brothers have brought
out another life of Camillus "The Hos
pital Saint"
The facts in reference to the estab-
lishment of the order of nurses with
the Red Cross as their distinguishing
mark are in brief these:
Camille Compellio, Of noble family
In Abruzzo, married in Milan an Off
Ger in the Imperial Army of Charles
v of Italy. A few days before child
was born she dreamed that she had
given birth to son with a red cross
on his breast who was followed by 9TH
err children with similar crosses. This
child was Camillus, born May Is, 1850.
His mother died when he was 13 years
old and his father when he was 10.
About this time scratch on his right
leg above the ankle turned into run
healed 1t prevented him from follow.
ing the career of a soldier which he
had begun and brought him in touch
with hospitals and the need for nurses.
He was man of commanding pres
ence, tremendous zeal and unusual
piety. He was elected superintendent
of the hospital of st. Giacomo in Rome.
Here he brought about much needed
reforms. In 1852 he received an in
SEPARATION to form an order, of minis
tiers of the Sick" At the age of 80 he
began his studies for the priesthood
and was ordained June 10, 1884.