3 Chief stretcher-bearers
3 Men nurses
We may form some more columns if this is successful and has good results.
The total number of all the detachments as mentioned above and already sent out together with women nurses amounts to 3,266 persons and, moreover, we are prepared to dispatch as many more as are necessary at any moment.
All the women nurses of our society go through scientific and practical training for two and three years, the latter term being for the higher course of nursing, whilst the men nurses are required to take a ten months’ course of training.
Our Main Red Cross Hospital in Tokyo has now been appropriated to the use of the Army. It is, therefore, made a branch hospital of the Tokyo Military Reserve Hospital. Since the outbreak of the war, many additional barracks have been built on the wide ground of the Red Cross Hospital. Moreover, an estate we had purchased at Hiroshima for the purpose of building our hospital there has been put at the disposal of the Army and a temporary hospital has been erected.
The Ladies’ Volunteer Nursing Association of the Red Cross Society of Japan has become more active in many ways, the members have applied themselves with far greater earnestness and energy to the study of first aid and nursing under the direction of our medical men. Moreover, they are occupying themselves very busily every day making various kinds of bandages and caps for the patients, looking after them at the relief stations, which are prepared for those who are travelling, visiting them at the hospitals, helping them to write to their families at home and in various other serviceable ways. Theirs is a self-sacrificing work.
Since the outbreak of the war, the number of the members is daily increasing. Princesses, the wives of the Nobility and of the diplomatic staffs and other distinguished ladies have all joined.
Her Majesty the Empress has always been greatly interested in our relief work. On the 20th of last June, for instance, she paid a visit to the Ladies’ Volunteer Nursing Association and particularly looked at the members making bandages. On the 3d of September, she summoned our president to the palace and spoke to him very encouragingly about the Red Cross Work.