Clara Barton.
Three great conflicts were seen by Miss Barton, and her career is an example to thousands of women who today are trying to heal human suffering. Buffalo (N. Y.) Express.
PATRIOTIC WOMEN OF AMERICA SELF-SACRIFICING
Nursing in war is of comparatively recent origin. While it is recorded that Fabiola, a patrician Roman lady, founded a hospital in A.D. 380, and 600 nurses in the early part of the fifth century were in the hospitals in Alexandria, nursing in war hospitals dates from the Crimean War; and on the battlefields, from our Civil War. The Crimean War gave the first real impulse to this humanitarian work, and the Civil War gave added luster to the glory of this work of humanity, as did the Franco-Prussian War and the Spanish-American War. But the late war broke all records; now, war-nursing will continue until “Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn to war any more.”
The true disciples of humanity in war are the nurses, wearing the sign of the Red Cross and whose sacred mission it is to bind up the soldier’s wounds and “To heal all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases.” In the World War, reports show that there were approximately 11,600 American Red Cross nurses in service over-seas.
The total number of nurses employed:
Army Nurse Corps, Regulars and Reserves 22,854
Navy Nurse Corps, Regulars and Reserves 1,500
Nurses assigned directly under the Red Cross for
service overseas 604