On the Geneva Convention of 1864 : in relation to the aid afforded by volunteer societies to sick and wounded soldiers during the late Franco-German War, with a glance at the proper functions of national aid societies, particularly the British Aid Society, in the future : a lecture delivered at the Royal United Service Institution.

Longmore, Sir Thomas, 1816-1895.

Date:: [1872]

Credit: On the Geneva Convention of 1864 : in relation to the aid afforded by volunteer societies to sick and wounded soldiers during the late Franco-German War, with a glance at the proper functions of national aid societies, particularly the British Aid Society, in the future : a lecture delivered at the Royal United Service Institution. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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$But what has hitherto been wanting has been the intelligent direc- tion what to do, and how to do it—how to utilise the efforts of zealous benevolent persons for the objects that we all had in view. That want is supplied by Professor Longmore's paper. He has given us in it the result of his thoughtful experience. He has pointed out how our efforts ought to be combined with, and, of course, in subservience to, the arrangements of the War Office and Government of the country, in case our armies should be called into the field- He has shown how we may be of use, without exciting the jealousy of our own or foreign authorities, and how we may act with that which, above all, is essen- tial,—the goodwill and co-operation of our own military commanders. There is no doubt that in the Franco-German war, the Red Cross was abused. He tells us how its abuse may be—indeed must be— avoided in future. I bebeve that many of us are convinced, that only by regulations such as Professor Longmore suggests, and acting vigorously under them, will the Aid Society to Sick and Wounded in War be able to carry out the objects for which it exists. We shall all study his warnings and admonitions, and they will be especially valuable to the Council of the Society, furnishing to them information and advice for the work which they have to undertake in directing the future opera- tions of the Society. We also thank Professor Maclean for his statement on the important duties of the trained Krankentrager, a statement founded, apparently, on his personal observation, and so pertinently illustrated by his reference to the case of that gallant American General, Stonewall Jackson, whose course we all, whether favourable to the North or South, followed with admiration, and whose untimely death we could not but deplore.* * On this point Professor Maclean observed, it is a great mistake to suppose that anj men picked up in the street, or even taken from the ranks, are capable, without special training, of performing the duties of an Army Hospital Corps. On the con- trary, it may with truth be described as a species of skilled labour. In the case of a man in the field, let us say with a simple fracture of a limb, if unskilfully handled by untrained men, the injury may in a moment be converted into a compound one, to the serious detriment of the sufferer, and in some cases fatal consequences may result. In this way the good and gallant Stonewall Jackson lost his life. He was wounded, but not mortally. The soldiers who removed him from the field did this in so unskilful a manner that death resulted. HARRISON AND SONS, PRINTEI13 TN ORDINARY TO HER MAJESTT, ST. MARTIN'S LANK.$

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