* * * * *
Items from the April _Bulletin_ of the Red Cross International Committee
of Geneva.
The _Bulletin_ contains a report of the hospital sent to and maintained
in Manchuria by the German Red Cross Society. The equipment filled 24
cars, providing for a hospital of 120 beds, a disinfecting apparatus,
Röntgen plant, a bacteriological laboratory, and provisions for six
months. Its personnel consisted of the Chief Surgeon, four Assistant
Surgeons, two students, an administrator, a technical officer, 12 sister
nurses and nine lay nurses. A large part of the personnel spoke Russian.
Dr. Brentano, the Chief Surgeon, who considered the collaboration of
feminine service of inestimable value, exacted that the sister nurses
should belong to strictly religious orders, and that the character of the
lay nurses should be strongly vouched for.
At the termination of the war, in returning to their country, 59 Japanese
officers and 1721 soldiers who had been prisoners in Russia passed
through Germany. For those who had been sick or wounded the German Red
Cross turned the cars into veritable hospitals. At Berlin, upon order of
the Emperor and Empress, the German Red Cross prepared a reception for
them. Tea, cigarettes and some Japanese papers were distributed among
them. At Hamburg the transportation of the sick and wounded to the ship
was quickly accomplished by the Red Cross sanitary columns, and those who
were well taken by a Red Cross detachment to see the city.
* * * * *
In France a movement is on foot to organize a volunteer automobile corps
for the transportation of wounded. With the excellent roads that exist
in that country, the wounded could often be transported in a few hours
by automobiles to the reserve hospitals—thirty or forty miles from the
front—instead of by the slow process of transportation by ambulance.
It is proposed to organize a volunteer corps of chauffeurs, including
women, who are experts in the running of these machines.
* * * * *
In Italy the Red Cross has been continuing its great anti-malarial work
in the Roman Campagna. It has several stations, and each station has a
wagon, an ambulance and medical supplies, and a personnel of a medical
officer, a man nurse and a conductor, each giving two months’ service.
In 1900 when the work began, 31 per cent. of those receiving the
preventive treatment suffered from the fever. The report for 1905 shows
that only a little over 5 per cent. were attacked by the malady; that is,
out of 16,427 treated only 839 suffered from fever.
The Red Cross of the Netherlands reports relief rendered to a village
which was partially destroyed by fire.
* * * * *
The _Bulletin_ contains a long article on the Russian Red Cross. On
January 1, 1905, not including Port Arthur, it had 158 ambulances of
various kinds including hospital trains, and hospital accommodations in
Manchuria for 27,911. This article shows so strongly the need of system
and preparation beforehand that it is hoped a portion of it may be
printed in some subsequent _Bulletin_ of the American National Red Cross.
* * * * *
The Saxon Red Cross reports 70 Sanitary Columns with 2161 members, all of
whom have received a special course of instruction. At Loschwitz a house
for convalescents has been established and utilized for German soldiers
returning from campaigns in South Africa.
* * * * *
The importance of the Revision of the Treaty of Geneva and some of the
subjects to be discussed, for which the Convention is now being held in
that city, occupies considerable space in the _International Bulletin_.
Among the questions are: the protection of the wounded from ill treatment
and pillage, the wearing by all military persons of some mark of
identification, a provision that a list of the dead, the wounded and sick
found or taken by the enemy shall be sent as soon as possible to the
opposing Army or its government, a complete enumeration of the sanitary
personnel protected by the Treaty, if in this enumeration shall be
included the personnel of the volunteer aid, and under what conditions?
Fourteen questions are given.
* * * * *
It is much regretted by the National Officers that so few of the Branch
Societies have sent in any notes for publication in this number of the
BULLETIN.
Copies of this quarterly BULLETIN are sent to all foreign Red Cross
Societies and to every member of the American National Red Cross free of
charge.
Members of the Red Cross may obtain from the Secretary of the Branch to
which he or she belongs a Red Cross pin or button upon the payment of
fifty cents.
The new life-membership certificates are now being sent out from the
National Headquarters, and any life member not receiving one will confer
a favor by notifying the National Secretary.
The Red Cross is having made some special pins to be worn by Red Cross
nurses. These will be furnished the nurses without charge.