The
following extract is the chapter on the German Red Cross taken from the
American War Manual Number 5.
It was published in 1918 by Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia
and New York. The title was "Lessons from the Enemy - How Germany
Cares for her War Disabled"
by John R.
McDill, MD. FACS., Major, Medical Reserve Corps, U.S. Army.
Dr
M. Geoffrey
Miller,
editor
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VOLUNTEER NURSING AND
WELFARE
WORK
UNDER THE RED
CROSS.
In addition to the minutely thought-out official sanitary
corps of the army with its punctiliously drilled personnel and its
perfect equipment there was in Germany a vast system of semiofficial
and volunteer relief organization ready to be put into service at the
first call for mobilization. Germany had learned in her wars of 1864-66
that the many deficiencies in the sphere of voluntary nursing, which
was inaugurated at that time, were due to a lack of a firm organization
and adequate preparation during times of peace. To correct
these deficiencies became a matter of national concern.
ORGANIZATION. In the first place the Red Cross organization has existed
in Germany since 1864, when the Geneva convention was founded. Even
before the formal adjournment of this convention, the Central Committee
of the Prussian Red Cross was made a permanent institution and by 1869
it combined all the German principalities at a time when the political
union of the country was still unrealized.
In Germany the Red Cross is a democratic organization, every loyal
German citizen taking an interest in its success. Its laws are closely
connected with the political regulations of the country; its rights and
duties definitely determined by the official medico-military
authorities. But it is only one of several organisations
interested in the volunteer nursing service. The others are the
various confessional sister-hoods of trained nurses, both Catholic and
Protestant, the Knights of St. John and of Malta and others, as well as
the great "Vaterlandische Frauenverein" or National League of Women,
one of whose chief activities is the training of women nurses and
the "Organization of Voluntary Nurses" founded by John Wickern in 1866
for the training of men nurses.
THE VATERLANDISCHE FRAUENVEREIN was established in1866 by Queen Augusta
of Prussia on the occasion of the peace celebration in that year. By
appropriate organization it planned to preserve in times of peace all
those forces which had been active during the wars just past in the
relief of distress and suffering and to keep them employed in
conjunction with the Central Committee of the Prussian Red Cross.
It aimed at a combination of relief workers throughout the entire
kingdom and invited all women's organizations to affiliate themselves
as branch societies. It became incorporated as a regular national
society, its sessions to be held in Berlin. It was to devote itself
first and foremost to the training of a competent nursing personnel
during peace and to welfare work of the utmost scope and variety. This
organization constitutes the women's branch of the German Red Cross and
uses the Red Cross insignia. In 1914 the number of members amounted to
400,000 and the league owned property inclusive of real estate and
institutions to the value of 20,000,000 marks. By September, 1916,
there were 2335 branches throughout the Empire and a membership of
1,000,000 women. It has become a tremendously effective organization.
MEN NURSES. --The society for the training of men nurses and hospital
attendants is also closely associated with the Red Cross and calls
itself "The Organization of Voluntary Nurses in the War Work of the Red
Cross." Its various branches belong to the national and provincial
societies of the Red Cross which superintends its work and finances it,
as the society itself requests no fees or donations from its members.
Its personnel can of course be drawn only from those men who are unfit
for military duty either in active service or in the reserve. The
justification for its existence and activity in recruiting in times of
peace is that it considers itself " the shadow of the army." It has
also, however, demonstrated its great usefulness on many occasions in
times of epidemic and disaster.
IMPERIAL INSPECTOR OF VOLUNTEERS. At the head of these various
organizations is the Imperial Commissioner and Military Inspector of
Voluntary Service, at present Prince Hatzfeld. This office was created
in the campaign of 1866 by Emperor Wilhelm, in order to amalgamate the
volunteer workers with the military department. During peace he has the
supervision of the training of his army of workers so as to be ready at
short notice for all emergencies in the event of war. Territorial
delegates stationed in various parts of the country assist him in
overseeing and planning the relief work. During the war his office is
at Imperial army headquarters. His instructions and reports go back to
his deputy military inspector at Berlin, who is connected on the one
hand with the proper ministerial and influential authorities and on the
other with the large group of voluntary workers, whose delegates at
home and in the field are greatly increased in war times. For every
important medico-military official in the sanitary department, a
civilian of corresponding rank is appointed to represent the interests
of the volunteers. The effective collaboration of these workers fits
into the great web of the official work with a minimum of friction.
DIVISIONS OF RED CROSS WORK. Everything connected with the Red Cross
and its activities receives its authority from the proper national
central offices. The divisions of the Central Committee which existed
before the war and which are still retained are:
Division (1) for mobilization,
(2) for the volunteer staff of men nurses,
(3) for depot affairs,
(4) for women volunteer nurses,
(5) for collections and recruiting,
(6) for administration.
If there has been any change in the duties of these divisions it has
been rather in the extent than in the kind of work. Since the war
began, there have been added Division
(7) for prisoners,
(8) for exhibits of war booty for the purpose of raising funds,
(9) for health resorts and institutional care for the disabled,
(10) for welfare work divided into group
(a) for tuberculosis and contagious diseases, group
(b) for the care of infants and mothers and group
(c) for the care of families.
The work of these groups extends over everything that is necessary to
the maintenance and retainment of health in families, and the training
of a healthy, able-bodied rising generation. It provides for the
training of grown children to a profitable calling and the employment
of all who are able to work. This division also sees to the training,
examination and graduation of girls and women as voluntary nurses,
their vaccination and so forth.
There is also a Division (11) for the care of refugees and the families
of interned Germans, and one (12) for securing employment for the
disabled; this is closely associated with Division 9 and the two
divisions work in cooperation with the Welfare Commission for the War
Disabled. Finally there is a Division (13) for the financial provision
for the disabled and their families supplementary to State aid or
pensions; the latter concerns itself only with the actual injury and
not with the special requirements of the pensioner, such as a large
family, old and feeble parents, sick relatives and similar conditions.
The central offices set the boundaries and give the general directions
according to which the branch associations are to act; they give advice
where it is asked or where it is deemed necessary and they offer the
help which often is needed to assure the success of their plans; but
the local societies are otherwise practically independent and secure
their own funds. This freedom greatly increases their efficiency.
TRAINING OF WOMEN NURSES. In 1905 when the Russo-Japanese war indicated
that dreams of universal peace were not altogether capable of
realization, Germany took stock of her nursing force, basing her needs
in this regard on the strength of her army and the number of field
sanitary formations which would be needed. Following the urgent advice
of General Rothe of the Artillery, the central committee of the Red
Cross working with the War Department urged the imperative necessity of
increasing the nursing personnel.
The needs of the army were placed at 15,000 nurses. While the Imperial
Register set the number of women nurses at 74,986, there were included
in this number a high proportion of ill educated and poorly trained
women acting as attendants in asylums, etc. About 26,000 in this total
were Catholic Sisters; about 12,000 were deaconesses; the Red Cross
counted between 3000 and 4000; the German Nurses' Association 3000.
According to Dr. Koerning, member of the Central Committee of the Red
Cross, a census in 1905 revealed that there were only 20,000 fully
trained nurses in Germany, not including Bavaria, who would be fit for
duty as war nurses and a large number of these would not be available
on account of the needs of the home communities.
Thereupon the Central Committee of the Red Cross and the National
League of Women, Vaterlandische Frauenverein, put forth every possible
effort to increase the number of nurses. This effort received an
especial impetus from the fact that in 1907 an examination was
introduced by the state which laid down in writing the conditions under
which recognition by the state was accorded to nurses after a training
of one year. These test regulations were at once adopted by the Red
Cross. Even this, however, did not produce enough nurses to satisfy the
need. It was difficult to obtain a sufficient number of women who would
undertake training for a profession for which in ordinary times the
demand was limited.
Voluntary nursing forces for the express purpose of service in war had
therefore to be enlisted and trained. After many tedious deliberations,
regulations were issued in 1908 concerning the training of auxiliary
nurses and nurses' aids. These created two classes; one of which, the
auxiliary nurses or "sisters" as all nurses in Germany are called,
received a half year's training and the other, the nurses' aids, a six
weeks' training in practical and theoretical courses, with later
supplementary courses. The auxiliary sisters are women whose
domestic relations are such that they can be spared from home for half
a year to learn nursing in the wards or operating rooms of hospitals
and who can every two or three years give from six to eight weeks'
service in a general or maternity hospital, but who cannot for some
reason follow nursing as a profession. Usually they substitute for
nurses out on leaves of absence or ill, but in war they relieve those
who have been sent to active duty at the front.
A special text-book was issued by the Red Cross Central Committee which
was elaborated with the permission of the respective authorities by
following the military text-book for sanitary forces. By this means the
training of the volunteer nurses proceeded along the same lines as that
of the sanitary corps. Experience has fully justified this as a wise
procedure.
Within forty-eight hours after the call for mobilization in few months
of war so developed some of them that the Red Cross Society announced
that all those who after four months' service were found competent
should be promoted to the position of auxiliary sister. Another
important step was taken in the spring of 1915 when they were given the
opportunity to complete their training and at the same time were given
credit for the period of their service in the war. While the principle
which led to the introduction of nurses' aids was fully justified it
was early recognized that the few weeks of training was insufficient,
and their instruction has been continued under the local Red Cross
branches of the Vaterlandische Frauenverein and has developed into a
two years' course. At the end of this time they receive a diploma and
an official brooch, can wear the full uniform and are registered as
graduate army nurses and become a part of the system of national
defense. Distinguished service medals for merit are awarded these women
by the Emperor.
The Red Cross nurses work in all hospitals, both Red Cross or
Association Hospitals as they are called and the military hospitals up
to and including the line of communications hospitals. Wherever it is
advisable they are under the supervision of the Deaconess nurses. These
are usually mature women who have received several years of training in
the various deaconess training schools throughout the empire, which are
all modeled on the famous institution at Kaiserwerth. Many have had
years of experience in the big clinics in every department of work.
They live in the hospitals and have charge of the "stations" or
sections of patients.
The Red Cross nurses are of the best type of young women from twenty to
thirty-five years of age; they are nearly all of the best families and
live at home when on duty in their home towns; but can get any meals
they may want in the hospitals. Their instruction is not up to the
standard of that in America but their desire to learn is intense, and
as they are all educated they are capable of training to any degree.
They are the only material from which reliable war nurses in large
numbers can be developed in any country.
The older trained professional nurses cannot be relied upon as a class
to carry the burden of all the work of war hospitals, demanding long
and irregular hours, changes of stations, sometimes involving hardships
and new environments in a foreign country with a foreign language. The
mature, experienced, trained, professional nurse should bear the same
relation to the younger army nurses that officers do to their soldiers.
Their positions should be those of superintendents, chief nurses,
dietitians, anesthetists or matrons, and all should be selected with
reference to their ability to manage young people and to instruct them
during their courses of training. The latter qualities are most
important and should be insisted on or discontent, unhappiness and
failure in discipline will seriously disturb the service.
The pay of a nurse in Germany is a little more than one mark per day,
paid every three months, when they receive 99.90 marks. A corps of
50,000 nurses thus costs the Empire for salaries only $3,650,000 a
year. In America an equivalent number of nurses would cost the
government for their salaries $3,0405645.
MEN NURSES. -- Men nurses and hospital helpers to the number of 15,000
were also ready at the day of mobilization. These, recruited from all
classes and trades and professions, a large number coming from the
academies and universities
had, previous to the war, received a theoretical and practical course
in nursing, each of six weeks' duration and had kept in practice by
frequent drills and attendance at hospitals and clinics. Their work in
war is done chiefly in the home and line of communications zones; they
need not be active on the battlefield nor in the field hospitals. Their
services may be required in accompanying the wounded and sick on the
trains. One nurse accompanies from 12 to 20 wounded. They wear Red
Cross uniforms and are divided into companies of 41 men each.
All these organizations for voluntary nursing had, even in times of
peace, received their assignments from the Imperial Commissioner and
considered it a sacred duty to prepare themselves for the event of war.
They practised year in and year out during vacations and spare time to
perfect themselves in nursing and transport duties.
PERSONNEL. -- By February, 1917, the Red Cross personnel amounted to
179,000: 40,000 were men nurses, 30,000 of whom were in the line of
communications; 62,000 women nurses, 11,000 in the line of
communications; 1,000 women laboratory assistants, 700 in the line of
communications; 5000 kitchen personnel, 1500 in the line of
communications; 45,000 bearers, 35,000 in home hospitals; 2500 supply
depot personnel, 1800 at home; 700 clerks, 600 at home; 500
disinfectors, half at home; the balance consists of laborers and
workers of all kinds.
EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING. -- In regard to the material equipment
for voluntary nursing, the planless gropings toward possibilities of
help that heretofore have characterized volunteer work were gradually
eliminated. So far as possible the military authorities had set
definite requirements concerning the sort, extent and place for various
services and the societies had endeavored to follow them even before
the war. Orders for the establishment and management of private and
association hospitals and convalescent homes of the Red Cross had been
given by the proper. central executive committees long previous. By
publishing the patterns for the making of hospital and sick-room linen,
clothing, under wear for the patients and other sewing products, the
societies were enabled not only to prepare in peace but also to take
hold of the pertinent tasks without delay. A part of the instruments
and implements required, particularly those that would be difficult to
obtain after mobilization, were bought before the war and were held in
readiness according to the directions of the printed publications; the
rest were bought after the outbreak of war. Joint practice of the
women's societies with the men's divisions were responsible for the
fact that almost everywhere a knowledge of what was absolutely
necessary and what was dispensable was broadcast, so that after the
mobilization orders were published hardly a single question was asked
of the Central Committee of the Red Cross, showing that there was no
doubt in the minds of the workers. Everything went along its regulated
way apparently as if from habit, even the places of refreshment along
the way were ready when the troops were ready to march.
RED CROSS BARRACKS.--In one special field the Red Cross had for years
worked out a well-planned preparation for war; it had collected
portable barracks for the erection of hospitals, especially for
contagious or suspected contagious diseases. The Central Committee had
stored for some time numerous barracks with full equipment in order to
be prepared at any time for the outbreak of contagious diseases.
Such barracks can be erected and equipped within a few hours where they
are needed and fulfil their purpose in any weather and any climate.
They have proved themselves equally efficient in the ice fields of
Siberia and in the burning heat of a South African sun and have been
tried out hundreds of times in Germany. A part of the men of a sanitary
division and of the associations are perfected in the erection of these
barracks and a certain percentage are trained for the process of
disinfection.
RED CROSS TRANSPORTATION OF THE SICK. The voluntary nurses and the men
orderlies had by long practice perfected themselves in the handling and
transportation of patients. Besides the hospital and assistant hospital
trains which the military authorities held in readiness and sent with
the first load of surgical supplies to the front, the Red Cross
immediately after the outbreak of the war set to work their association
hospital trains which had been held in readiness according to military
instruction. In Bavaria, Wurtemberg and Baden these trains were
dispatched at once by the national societies of the Red Cross.
The German Central Committee delivered its four society trains promptly
on the fifteenth mobilization day and the Prussian Committee its six
trains on the twenty-second and the twenty-ninth mobilization days.
Quite a number of additional association hospital trains were furnished
by the various provincial and national societies of the Red Cross and
up to this day such trains are prepared and equipped with a regular
army staff. To enable the speedy and careful transportation of wounded
from the dressing centers and field hospitals to the frequently distant
railroads, hospital trains and ships, automobiles in large numbers were
offered and used. But up to date it has not been possible to meet all
requirements; especially is this true on the Eastern front where
conditions are not yet quite as well regulated as expected. Lately,
voluntary service has endeavored to stop the gaps that are here and
there still noticeable.
Early in the war the Red Cross erected in conjunction with the General
German Automobile Club several auto stations, each consisting of six
auto trucks, for the transportation of provisions and articles of
luxury from the line of communications zone to the fighting troops and
field hospitals and to take the wounded back to the hospitals. A part
of these auto stations have been disbanded because they seemed
dispensable here and there after the change in the war situation. The
rest remained; in fact, their staffs and numbers have been increased
considerably. The transportation of the wounded at home from the
railroad stations to the hospitals is for the greater part in the hands
of local Red Cross societies and is being improved continually. Early
in the war a charitable woman in Berlin donated an electrically heated
and lighted automobile which could hold eight soldiers lying or twenty
sitting. A large number of these were later employed.
FUNDS AND LOTTERY.--It can be readily understood that the financing of
the varied activities of the Red Cross is a tremendous undertaking. To
obtain voluntary gifts through collections the "Imperial Commissioner
and Military Inspector " immediately at the beginning of the war urged
the people to donate liberally and designated the places where such
contributions would be received. Following this, came appeals from the
various branch societies for gifts from home and abroad. A popular and
successful source of income is the national Red Cross Lottery which is
held under governmental auspices every three months. One million marks
worth of chances are sold, two-thirds of which goes to the Red Cross
Society and for expenses and one-third to the prize fund to be divided
among the holders of the winning tickets. Tag-days are numerous, in
fact every day is tag-day in Germany. Up to June, 1916, the German Red
Cross had expended 426,000,000 marks, 15,000,000 of which came from the
United States.
DEPOTS FOR GIFTS.--Depots for the reception of gifts are established in
the line of communications and here they are turned over to the
military authorities and the responsibility of the Red Cross ceases.
Military exigencies sometimes prevent the delivery of these gifts. This
has given rise to criticism of the Red Cross. The question whether and
where woolen underwear, provisions and certain articles of luxury are
needed is primarily answered by the military authorities; they alone
are deemed competent to judge whether or not the shipments to the
fighting troops are permissible and is expedient. Military necessity
peremptorily demands that the transportation of munitions and
provisions shall take precedence of all else. In addition to the
furnishing of a voluntary nursing personnel and its care for the
comfort of the soldiers at the front, the Red Cross and the affiliated
women's societies find an inexhaustible field of activity in
ameliorating the harshness of war for those at home.
DOMESTIC SCIENCE SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS. Previous to the war the National
League of Women had, in conjunction with the Chamber of. Agriculture,
established domestic science schools. These schools were to acquaint
the young girls from the class of small farmers, labourers and others
with the most essential fundamentals of domestic science. Their value
in the present scarcity of food has been inestimable.
MASS FEEDING OF THE PEOPLE. Information to the entire population on the
subject of national nutrition is disseminated by the league and the
mass feeding of the people by means of war kitchens and "goulash
cannons" has also come under their supervision. At these public
kitchens one litre of very palatable meat and vegetable thick soup
prepared according to a fixed caloric value is sold for 30 pfennigs;
for the average appetite it is nearly enough for two meals.
GAMES AND RECREATIONS. The furnishing of recreation and amusement for
the soldiers both in the trenches and the hospitals is regarded as an
important feature of welfare work. "The soldiers in the field want
games," was the information that came back from the trenches soon after
the outbreak of the war. To forget the fearful realities of his life,
the soldier needs diversion in his hours of rest and relaxation. At
times he is too exhausted to read and simple games fill a great want.
Games in the hospitals have a much greater usefulness than is generally
realized. The Woman's League has therefore made a systematic course in
wholesome, interesting games a part of the army nurse's training
course. Printed outlines have been prepared of the games
suitable for the various kinds of welfare work carried on by the
society. In this are listed games suitable for the trenches, for
blinded soldiers, for the children in municipal playgrounds; games for
adolescents and entertainments of all kinds for the disabled and
convalescents.
The games for the trenches mentioned are checkers, chess, dominoes and
similar well-known games played on boards with dice and figures. These
are made as small as possible so as not to overburden the soldier's
knapsack. The boards are made of stiff oilcloth or leather and can be
folded up, the figures are kept in small linen bags. Puzzles, card
games of all kinds, including the educational series are also very
popular. Booklets containing riddles, puzzles, and amusing tricks of
all sorts are furnished. In the hospitals, for patients who are not
bed-ridden, games involving active motion are planned and many
long-forgotten simple games have been revived; light gymnastics with
music are also found to be valuable. For the blind many books,
magazines and games are provided. Through entertaining games the blind
are most apt to regain their cheerfulness and self-confidence.
After their interest in life has been thus reawakened it becomes easy
to train them in useful remunerative occupations. These are some of the
endless activities of the women of Germany, and so well have they
performed their tasks of relief work and so vital to the existence of
the army in the field has been the efficient cooperation of "The Army
of the Empress" at home that larger spheres of usefulness are being
opened to them every day. Not only are they taking the place of men in
the performance of work in every trade and .occupation but their
assistance is being sought in high administrative offices in the
government. The war will mean the emancipation of the German woman from
her heretofore limited life.
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