The work of humanity in war : plan and results of the Geneva Congress and International Treaty, securing to the sick and wounded in war the benefits of neutrality and sanitary care / prepared under direction of the American branch of the International Association for Relief of Misery of Battlefields.

  • American Association for the Relief of the Misery of Battle Fields.
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The work of humanity in war : plan and results of the Geneva Congress and International Treaty, securing to the sick and wounded in war the benefits of neutrality and sanitary care / prepared under direction of the American branch of the International Association for Relief of Misery of Battlefields. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

    12/44 (page 8)
    8th of August, 1864, and, after several days' sittings, agreed upon Treaty and Convention that was acceptable to the Governments they represented, and which have since been ratified by every sovereign in Europe. Subjoined is the text of THE TKEATY FOR THE AMELIORA.TION OF THE CONDITION OF WOUNDED SOLDIEES OF AEMIES IN THE FIELD. The Sovereigns of the countries following, to wit: Italy, Baden, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Spain, Portugal, France, Prussia, Saxony, Wurtemburg, and the Federal Council of Switzerland, animated with a common desire of mitigat- ing, as far as in then' power, the evils inseparable from war, of suppressing need- less severities, and of amehorating the condition of soldiers wounded on the field of battle, have determined to conclude a treaty for this purpose ; and, having named plenipotentiaries to sign such a Convention, these plenipotentiaries, after the due interchange of their powers, found to be in good and proper form, have agreed upon the following articles, to wit: Article 1. Ambulances and military hospitals shall be acknowledged to be neuter, and, as such, shall be protected and respected by belligerents so long as any sick or wounded may be therein. Such neutrality shall cease if the ambulances or hospitals should be held by a military force. Article 2. Persons employed in hospitals and ambulances, comprising the staff for superintendence, medical service, administration, transport of wounded, as well as chaplains, shall participate in the benefit of neutrality whilst so employed, and so long as there remain any wounded to bring in or to succor. Article 3. The persons designated in the preceding article may, even after occupa- tion by the enemy, continue to fulfil their duties in the hospital or ambulance which they serve, or may withdraw in order to rejoin the corps to which they belong. Under such circumstances, when those persons shall cease from their func- tions, they shall be delivered by the occupying army to the outposts of the enemy.