hundred cases of accidents and sudden illnesses were taken care of at
these stations, not counting those which were removed to the hospitals,
is a sufficient answer as to their value to the public. Some parts of the
reports of the physicians in charge are appended to this article.
[Illustration: DETACHMENT FIRST LEGION (NEW YORK) READY TO PROCEED TO
WASHINGTON FOR DUTY IN CONNECTION WITH INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT TAFT.]
The morning of the fifth the nurses from New York, Maryland and
Pennsylvania were presented to President Taft at the White House and the
following week some of the physicians, the nurses and the Washington
Relief Column men were entertained by Miss Boardman at a tea.
The names of the nurses and Relief Column men who participated in the Red
Cross work of inauguration day are as follows:
Relief Column Men—(Washington), Messrs. Dickens, Fitzhugh, Simon,
Collins, Luckett, Sloat, Espinosa, Huske, Leonard, Watts, Carroll, Drew,
Read, Hall, Eckhart, Hankins, Kelley, Webb, Newton, Townsend, Bruder,
Sutton, Heally, Brick, Jobson, Rhees, Butler, Dougherty, Kennedy, French,
Bricker, Robinowitz, Rollings, Colver, Rudolph, Posey.
Nurses—(New York), the Misses Phelan, Collins, Miller, Patterson and
Hallahan; (Maryland), Kinhart, Murphy, Boyer, Lucas, Spielman and
Bartlett; (Pennsylvania), Beitel, Rice, Simon, Uomer, Suddoth, McKnight,
Calhoun, Zellfelder, Seiwell, Akeley and Bierstein; (Washington), Bauer,
Hayes, Hart, Donnelly, Davis, Fitz, Backofen, Mahan, Bauer, Burhman,
Grunwell, Stith, Lohr, Strong, Carbauld, Hewitt, Brown, Braun and Roach.
INAUGURAL COMMITTEE
The New Willard.
MAJOR RICHARD SYLVESTER, Chairman Committee on Public Order.
Dear Sir—In compliance with your request I have the honor to report
the operations of the Hospital and Ambulance Service of the Committee
on Public Order for the Inaugural period of 1909, of which, under your
appointment, I acted as Chairman. In order to facilitate the work this
sub-committee was organized by the appointment of Drs. George M. Kober
and G. L. Magruder as Vice-Chairmen and Dr. P. C. Hunt as Secretary, the
work being divided among four sub-committees, as follows: Sub-committee
on Ambulance Stations, Sub-committee on Hospital at Pension Office,
Sub-committee on Hospital at Union Station and Sub-committee on
Inspection of Quarters. These Sub-committees were in charge of Drs.
Gibson, Reisinger, Reeves and Gwynn, respectively.
SUB-COMMITTEE ON AMBULANCE STATIONS.
This Sub-committee cared for 81 cases, 10 surgical and 71 medical, 53
of whom were males and 28 females. This work was done under the most
unfavorable circumstances on account of the weather, which not only
interfered with the well-planned arrangements in many of their details,
but made many of the physicians at some of the stations use Pennsylvania
avenue as a thoroughfare to carry urgent cases to the Emergency Hospital
instead of the longer runs to the other hospitals, as it was practically
impossible to get the mules to pull the heavy ambulances over the
snow-covered streets. While this was all done in violation of orders, yet
suffering was materially lessened by so doing. Many of the tents were
blown down, so that three of the emergency stations had to be established
in three of the public buildings, namely, the District Building, State,
War and Navy Building and the Marine Hospital Building.
Every station reported cases having been treated except No. 19. There
were on duty during the day over 70 members of the Committee.
The work of the Red Cross is to be specially commended in connection
with the Ambulance Stations, as they had not only furnished a complete
relief equipment for each station, but two trained nurses in uniform at
each station, all of whom, in spite of the weather, promptly reported
for duty and rendered very efficient service. The stretcher men, trained
and uniformed, at the expense of the American Red Cross Association, did
excellent service and ought to be highly commended.
SUB-COMMITTEE ON HOSPITAL AT PENSION OFFICE.
The Hospital at the Pension Office was opened March 4th at 9 A. M. and
closed March 7th at 11 A. M., having treated 24 cases.
The thanks of the Sub-committee are specially tendered to Lieut. Judge,
of the Metropolitan Police Force, for the excellent assistance given and
the order maintained, also to Mr. Graham, of the Inaugural Committee,
through whose kindness supper was furnished to the Red Cross nurses on
duty at the Hospital.
The work of the Red Cross Society in placing at the disposal of your
Committee the equipment, trained nurses and stretcher men is highly
appreciated.
[Illustration: PHYSICIANS AND NURSES ON DUTY AT THE RED CROSS EMERGENCY
HOSPITAL AT UNION STATION, WASHINGTON.]
SUB-COMMITTEE ON HOSPITAL AT UNION STATION.
Owing to the courtesy of the Terminal Station Officers and of the
American Red Cross your Committee were enabled to establish and maintain
a well-equipped emergency hospital at the Union Station. This emergency
room was in operation from 8 A. M. March 1st until midnight of March 7th.
During this time 105 cases were treated.
To the physicians, Red Cross nurses and Red Cross stretcher-bearers, who
performed this work, covering the whole 24 hours, my thanks are specially
due, as the work was done faithfully and well.
SUB-COMMITTEE ON INSPECTION OF QUARTERS.
In compliance with your desires, a number of the members of your
Committee on Hospitals and Ambulances were designated to inspect the
quarters of soldiers and organizations, who were quartered in large
numbers in any one place during the inaugural period. This not only
included those located in hotels, halls and tents, but also the numbers
quartered in Pullman cars at Sixth street and Virginia avenue. The number
of these places obtained from the Committee on Public Comfort was 25,
all of which were inspected by the members of your Committee, who paid
special attention to the ventilation and sanitation and also rendered
efficient service to four men who were sick and in need of treatment.
In closing this report, I desire to call your attention to the fact that
214 cases have been reported as having been treated by your Committee
without any expense to the Inaugural Committee, except the general
printing and badge expenditures, and that the physicians willingly gave
their services night and day in order to make the work of your Committee
a success, and up to this time I have not heard of a single complaint.
I desire to specially call attention to the kindness of Miss Boardman,
of the Red Cross Association, for her active co-operation. Through her
efforts hospital tents were furnished along the line of march and at
the fireworks. These tents were thoroughly equipped with appliances for
the First Aid treatment of the sick and injured, and also two Red Cross
nurses were on duty at each tent as long as the same was in commission,
as well as two being constantly in attendance night and day at the
Union Station and four at the Pension Office. The stretcher men, who
had been drilled and uniformed, performed active and efficient service
at the Pension Office, Union Station, along the line of march and at
the fireworks, all of which was done without expense to the Inaugural
Committee.
I also desire to express my high appreciation of your many acts of
kindness and valuable assistance in carrying out the work of this
Sub-committee.
(Signed) D. PERCY HICKLING, M. D.
REPORTS TO RED CROSS.
MARCH 18th, 1909.
I have the honor to submit the following report:
The weather on the Fourth of March was unusually stormy,
especially early in the morning, and six of the tents (Nos. 1,
4, 5, 11, 12 and 16) were blown down and the ice and snow made
them so heavy that it was impossible for the men to place them
again in position.
Cases at stations Nos. 1, 4, 5 and 11 were treated in the
ambulances—that is, the slight ones, and the others were taken
to the hospitals. Stations 12 and 16 were removed to a room in
the District and War Department Buildings, respectively, and
very comfortable quarters were provided indoors for these two
stations.
On March the second I took Sergt. Frank G. Motz, of Company H,
Engineer Corps, around to the different places where you wished
the tents pitched, and early on the morning of March 4 he had
his corps of eight good men at work pitching the tents. I was
with them until they finished at six o’clock in the evening.
These men deserve great credit, as they were compelled to work
in the rain all the afternoon and they were wet to the skin,
but did not give up until the last tent was pitched. The next
morning when they knew it was snowing they came out without
orders and pitched some of the tents that had blown down.
Too much praise cannot be given the good corps of nurses that
so faithfully did splendid duty on that day. I visited several
stations about nine o’clock in the morning and no one was there
but the faithful nurses under your command. There was not a
station at which the nurses did not report. In the reports from
the different physicians much praise is given the nurses for
their excellent work.
Every station had work to do, except No. 19, which was not on
the route of parade.
Eighty-one cases were cared for—ten surgical and seventy-one
medical—twenty-eight females and fifty-three males.
I most earnestly recommend that the next time the Red Cross
is to do duty along the line of march and the weather is not
good that rooms on the ground floor be utilized for Emergency
Stations instead of tents.
FRANK E. GIBSON, M. D.,
In Charge of Ambulance Stations.
* * * * *
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 3-8, 1909.
D. PERCY HICKLING, M. D., Chairman Sub-committee on Hospitals
and Ambulances.
Sir—I respectfully report that the Red Cross Hospital, at the
Pension Office, organized by the Inaugural Committee, was
opened March 4, 1909, at 9 A. M., and closed March 7, 1909,
at 11 A. M. During the maintenance of said Hospital 24 cases
were treated, which varied from incised wound of index, third
phylanx, to la grippe; most of the cases were syncope and
the majority of these were in males, this being due to the
heavy snow. I wish through you to thank the Red Cross, the
physicians, the nurses and the Red Cross stretcher-bearers for
the hearty co-operation given, and especially Lieutenant Judge,
of the Metropolitan Police Force, for the excellent assistance
given and the order maintained.
Thanking you for the honor conferred, I am,
Respectfully,
(Signed) E. W. REISINGER, M. D.,
Physician in Charge
* * * * *
I have the honor to submit the following report:
The Relief Station situated in a room at the Union Station was
in operation March 1 at 12 noon, the first case being treated
at 5.30 of that day and the last one March 7 at 2 P. M. The
total number of cases treated was 105.
The ambulances were used to transfer seven additional cases to
hospitals.
The character of the cases treated was varied, practically an
equal division of medical and surgical. Most of the cases were
not serious, the patients being able to leave the hospital
shortly after first aid was rendered. The serious cases were
sent either to their homes or to permanent hospitals. There
were one doctor and two nurses constantly on duty, the doctor
being relieved every two hours and the nurses every eight.
The Washington Terminal employees were most kind and courteous
and seemed to appreciate the work.
Very respectfully,
NELLIE REED, Head Nurse.
Mr. Barney Robinowitz, one of the Relief Column members, also made an
excellent report of the work done at Station No. 8.
THE APPROPRIATE INSIGNIA FOR THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
SAMUEL P. GERHARD, A. M., M. D., Philadelphia.
An emblem, to be appropriate, should be so devised as to convey a meaning
suitable to the organization which carries it as a badge; therefore it
seems strange that the American Medical Association should have adopted
for its use the device of the red cross, which belongs to another
organization and represents a character of work entirely different from
that of the medical profession.
The American National Red Cross, through its executive committee,
passed resolutions October 18, 1907, which decided that by reason of
an international agreement the emblem of the red cross was adopted to
designate the personnel of sanitary corps, and was to be used in time of
peace or war to protect sanitary formations, establishments and personnel
and material.
Furthermore, in order that the emblem should be kept in its proper
place, legislation has been recommended to prevent its use by private
persons or by societies, and the executive committee has requested that
all hospitals, health departments and like institutions kindly desist
from the use of the red cross and suggests that some other insignia be
substituted for it.
Some commercial houses which manufacture surgical necessities and
appliances, together with some nostrums, print the red cross on their
packages of kidney plasters, dog soap and dyspepsia medicines. There
is a nurse’s school which claims to teach nursing in a short term of
a few weeks and calls the graduates “red cross nurses,” who go out in
competition with those who have served several years in hospitals.
In many of the large cities throughout the United States druggists are
fond of naming their places “Red Cross Pharmacy.” In New York and Chicago
physicians have placed this symbol on their automobiles—whether this
gives them more privileges than they would otherwise have is a question;
it appears more as an advertisement than an explanation for speed. On
state occasions some use it as a chevron on the sleeve, and sometimes the
police think they have a right to it during large parades and wear it
before the crowd.
There may, however, be raised the question of priority of use, inasmuch
as the red cross was adopted by the American Medical Association before
the laws were passed, and therefore the latter has a perfect right to its
use. This all may be true, but when we come to consider the objects of
the Red Cross as originally set forth in 1864 we must concede that its
use was not intended solely for the medical man, but for all connected
with the work of relief. Besides, we should be charitable enough to
consider that we have appropriated an emblem devoted to humanitarian work.
What, then, is the proper badge of the medical profession?
In the United States Army the device of the surgeon is Mercury’s wand,
consisting of a rod surmounted by a pair of wings with two serpents
twined about it. Carefully examining the literature on the subject of
Mercury we learn many facts arguing against the use of this later emblem
in the healing art. We shall see that it belongs strictly to commerce
and trade; the name “Mercury” itself is derived from the Latin _merx_,
_mercis_—“goods.” Mercury was the Roman divinity of commerce and gain;
also _mercor_, to traffic, is from the same root; the word _mercatus_
is akin to our English word “market,” as is also the word _mercator_,
“merchant.”
Mercury, the Roman god, is identical with the Greek god Hermes and was
considered the god of diplomacy, arts, sciences, commerce, gain and
riches, especially of sudden and unexpected riches and of good luck at
the games. He was usually represented with a purse in one hand, his magic
caduceus in the other, and was supposed to preside over the commerce of
the Romans.
The magic caduceus of Mercury is an evolution of the staff of Hermes,
and the original caduceus or staff was an olive branch with garlands.
Later ribbons were substituted for the garland and finally mythologists
transformed the ribbons and garlands into snakes, about which others,
like Hyginus, invented various tales, one of them being that Hermes found
two snakes fighting in a garden and, dividing them with his wand, chose
this as a symbol of the quarrels which it was his duty to assist in
settling. After a time a pair of wings was added to the staff to indicate
the speed of Mercury as a divine messenger; it also became a symbol of
power that produced wealth and was supposed to be an enchanted wand of
prosperity.
Owing to the fact that Mercury’s wand is used by the United States Army
and by some medical publishers, and is to be placed on the ambulances of
some New York hospitals, it would appear to be the proper emblem; but,
studying the references which we have just gone over, we learn that it
is more adapted to merchants, delivery wagons and steamships and is a
commercial device. With the knowledge that the red cross and Mercury’s
wand are incorrect emblems, what, then, shall we consider the true
insignia for the healing art?
The medical profession should be proud of the fact that a symbol has
been handed down from ages past, though it was lost to some extent by
those who forgot history and our traditions and desired something new
for a device. The true ancestral symbol of the healing art is the knotty
rod and serpent of Esculapius. Delving into the history of this symbol
we find a veritable mine of facts which will convince us that we have a
heritage worthy of our profession. It is customary to trace the history
of medicine back to the story of Esculapius, whom the Greeks elevated
to the position of the god of medicine. He was revered and worshipped
throughout Greece, but the great center of healing was at Epidaurus,
where a beautiful temple was built to his honor in which his statue by
the sculptor Thrasymedes stood. This statue, of gold and ivory, the head
bearded and surrounded with rays, a knotty stick in one hand, the other
entwined by a serpent, gives us the original symbol of the healing art.
Serpents of a peculiar kind were kept in the temples. Votive tablets
also have been found on which the ailments were inscribed and which were
similar to our hospital case records. No doubt Hippocrates, the “father
of physic,” gained much of his knowledge of medicine from these tablets,
for some of his reputed writings and formulas, such as Prorrhetica or
Praedictiones and Coacoae Praenotiones, are very much like them. He was
a descendant of the early Asclepiades and was said to be the nineteenth
in descent from Esculapius. He inherited the instruction of his fathers
through a long line of physicians and was well versed in the practice of
his time.
Later on we find the Greek practitioners coming to Rome, and the practice
of the Asclepiades came with them. According to the Roman law they were
freedmen. After a time they established shops, on which they placed the
sign of the Esculapian snake and practiced their art and sold medicine;
the Romans called them _medicinae_.
We learn from Ovid that on the occasion of the great plague in Rome,
at the command of the Delphic oracle, B. C. 293, an embassage was sent
to the temple of Esculapius at Epidaurus, whence was brought a living
serpent which was received with great ceremony by the Romans. They built
a temple on the Tiber and the serpent was placed therein.
Now let us glance at the sources of this serpent idea as found in the
earlier times and the strange ramifications of the respect for the
serpent among barbaric races. In the earliest civilized times we find
that the Egyptians represented the eternal spirit “Kneph” as a serpent.
Osiris in snake form was usually associated with health; the Chaldean
Hoa was identical with the _Agatho-daemon_, which the Hebrews, who were
in Egypt for over four hundred years, learned to regard as the symbol of
health and life. Thermuthis, the sacred asp, was associated with Isis,
the goddess of life and healing.
The serpent’s change of skin may have been suggestive of resurrection and
renovation; he was feared because he was supposed to possess superhuman
knowledge and power. His supposed longevity was, no doubt, the reason
why this animal entwined about a staff was symbolic of health and the
distinctive attribute of the classical Esculapius and Hygeia.
We find also that the Phenicians adored the serpent as a beneficent
genius. The Hindoos had a serpent deity, Rudra, who was not only
beautiful and strong but also the healer. The Druids had serpents in the
sanctuary to bring good fortune. The Python of the Greeks in the table
of Apollo, described by Ovid, was all-powerful; the Celts, the Basques
and all Asia had legends of the Orm and the Paystha pictured as a great
dragon.
We are all familiar with the fables of St. Michael and St. George, and,
turning to the Chinese, the winged dragon or serpent is a symbol of
superior wisdom and power.
In the folklore of the Gauls and Germans the white snake, when boiled,
was considered to have the attribute of conferring wisdom in medicine.
The white snake was also venerated by the Scottish highlanders, as well
as by certain Arabian tribes, as a mighty agent and the king of all
serpents.
Following this thought into America, let us learn what the Indians
believe in this respect. The general idea among them is that it brings
happiness. Professor Agassiz tells us that he found the Maues Indians,
who live in Brazil, whenever they assign a form to any _remedio_, give
it that of a serpent. Among the Lenape Indians their famous doctors were
called “big snakes.”
We must not forget to look into Holy Writ for the symbolical influence
and intelligence of the serpent in the history of the fall of man, where
it is stated, “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the
field.”
In the story of the Exodus we have many allusions to the serpent as a
power for deliverance. Aaron’s serpent rod is an instance. Also during
the wanderings in the wilderness Moses placed a brazen serpent on a pole
in the midst of the camp, which was preserved for many centuries, until
the days of Hezekiah, when it was broken to pieces because it became an
object of worship and tended to turn the people from their true God.
During the Christian era the serpent was employed to signify the virtue
of prudence and wisdom; the disciples were admonished, “Be ye wise as
serpents.”
In the Latin church of the early days the pastoral staff terminated at
the top with a serpent, indicating power and wisdom.
Whatever element of superstition or imagination may have been injected
into these stories of mythology and the legends of more recent times,
there is a wonderful history hidden behind them, all of which permeates
the whole human race.
Man in his primitive state and in his more civilized life believes
there was a superior power for good, and his mind, requiring a material
expression of that unseen source, used the serpent as a symbol of power
and wisdom. Without this the rod of Esculapius would be impotent over
disease and the wand of Mercury would have no authority over trade or
commerce. The cultured Greeks, therefore, having great respect for the
healing art, honored it with the most significant and expressive symbol
of the highest attributes conducive to the welfare of the race.
Among the orientals the shepherd was considered the highest type of
citizen, whose life in the open country brought him in contact with
great struggles. The rod was the weapon with which he struck down the
adversaries of the sheep; the staff or crook, however, was used for their
guidance in the proper path on the trackless pastures. Hence we read
in the beautiful pastoral song of the “shepherd king” these expressive
words: “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” The rod therefore became
the symbol of a defending power which brought comfort and support to the
weak in the consciousness that they were protected from all danger.
Esculapius was always pictured with a knotty rod in his hand, the knots
indicating the many difficult problems of physic to be solved in the
treatment of the ailments of mankind. Therefore, applying these thoughts
to the symbol, we have in the entwined serpent, power, wisdom and
health, together with the protection and support against disease and
the difficulties to be overcome by the knotty rod. With this historical
symbol the sanctity of medicine can be pictured and the doctor is
shown in his true light, not only as a laboratory scientist and as a
practitioner, but as a teacher and adviser to the patient, the family and
the community in all the difficult problems that arise concerning health
and disease.