The American Red Cross Magazine (Vol. 8, No. 2, April 1913)

by American National Red Cross

PHYSICIANS WILL HELP THE RED CROSS

In the Red Cross Magazine for January, 1913, announcement was made of the appointment, by the American Medical Association, of a committee whose duty it was to confer with the American Red Cross with a view to establishing a comprehensive system of co-operation between the Red Cross and the medical profession of the United States. The committee has proved to be prompt and active. Following is a copy of a circular letter which has been sent to all the county medical societies in the country. It will be found to contain a clear outline of the co-operative plan proposed by the committee and approved by the executive committee of the Red Cross:

February 14, 1913.

To the Secretary,
County Medical Society,

Dear Sir:

The undersigned have been constituted a committee by the President of the American Medical Association to cooperate with the American Red Cross, in the matter of medical work.

The Committee feels that a great deal of substantial good will come to all communities by providing a body of representative physicians of approved qualifications to direct or participate in medical work carried on by the Red Cross in different localities in times of emergencies and to advise with the representatives of that society on questions of medical policy and procedure. Besides its activity in emergency relief work, the Red Cross is engaged in an educational campaign for the mitigation of human suffering and the saving of lives. So far it has extended this movement only to the teaching of prevention of accidents and first aid to the injured, but it is hoped in future that it shall include popular instruction in the prevention of disease. These medical committees are not in any way bound to this educational work of the Red Cross, but members of the committees who may be interested are invited to correspond with the First Aid Department of the Red Cross.

In the opinion of this committee, the plan may be properly considered under the following headings:

1. Object. Primarily this service is designed to meet local emergencies when conditions of disaster are such as to call for the intervention of the Red Cross. When exigencies come about in any community the Red Cross would be glad to feel that it might call upon carefully selected physicians in that community to lend their aid in the medical work incident to the situation.

2. Organization. It is desired to have in every county a central committee of five physicians, two of whom shall be the President and Secretary of the County Medical Society, ex officio. The President of the County Medical Society shall select the other three members, preferably from the list of councilors or of the executive committee. This committee should be designated the “Committee on Red Cross Medical Work.” The names and residences of the members, immediately after organization, should be reported to the chairman of the American Medical Association. In case of disaster, requiring relief action by the Red Cross, these county committees will be called upon to nominate qualified medical men in their respective counties for Red Cross service. The committees will also serve in an advisory medical capacity to the Red Cross in time of disaster and in other lines of Red Cross activity as indicated in a preceding paragraph.

3. Qualifications. The certification of physicians by County Committees will be accepted as ample evidence of the physical, moral and professional qualifications of the gentlemen recommended for appointment. It may be pertinent to state that service in time of disaster may entail severe physical effort and physical fitness of appointees to perform hard work is, therefore, important.

4. Compensation. In some instances the Red Cross may require the services of physicians at a distance from their places of residence and for varying periods. Under these conditions the Red Cross will be prepared to pay traveling expenses and a moderate honorarium to be agreed upon between the physicians and the National Director of the Red Cross.

It will be obvious to you that the arrangement here proposed is primarily intended to provide for emergencies which may suddenly arise in any community or, on the other hand, may happily never occur. Thus it may be that the committee which we are inviting you to create may never be called into action, while, on the other hand, it may have occasion to perform a very great public service. Your cooperation in the completion of this plan at as early a date as convenient will be appreciated.

Please address all communications bearing upon the contents of this letter to the Chairman, Doctor George M. Kober, care The American Red Cross, 715 Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C.

Very respectfully,

George M. Kober, M.D.,
Chairman.

F. A. Winter,
Lt. Colonel, Medical
Corps, U. S. Army.

E. M. Blackwell,
Surgeon, U. S. Navy.

At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the American National Red Cross held in Washington, D. C., February 14, 1913, the foregoing plan of cooperation between the medical profession and the Red Cross was unanimously approved.

George W. Davis,
Major General, U. S. A., retired,
Chairman Central Committee.

Charles L. Magee, Secretary.

Many replies are coming from county medical societies indicating a cordial acceptance of the committee’s plan. It may be said, in this connection, that the medical profession has always been generous and responsive in the highest degree in all its relations with the Red Cross. The purpose of the new plan is to provide a simple system by means of which this cordial relationship may become more effective.