On the Geneva Convention of August the 22nd, 1864 : with some account of the national committees formed for aiding in ameliorating the condition of the sick and wounded of armies in time of war : a lecture delivered at the Royal United Service Institution.

  • Longmore, Sir Thomas, 1816-1895.
Date:
[1866]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the Geneva Convention of August the 22nd, 1864 : with some account of the national committees formed for aiding in ameliorating the condition of the sick and wounded of armies in time of war : a lecture delivered at the Royal United Service Institution. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    ON THE GENEVA CONVENTION which each article of the Convention was expressed, I felt I probably possessed the means of removing some of the misapprehensions to which I have referred, and of showing that the treaty contains nothing which is impracticable or inconsistent with national or military require- ments. It also appeared to me that I might, perhaps, be of use by calling attention to the advisability of steps being taken in this country for the formation of a national committee, similar to the committees which have been formed in most other European countries, for aiding their respective Governments in time of war in ministering to the necessities of sick and wounded soldiers. I am impressed with the importance of the subject being considered now, while we enjoy the leisure of peace ; and of the committee, if one should be formed in this country, being organised and directed by persons holding positions of social weight and influence, as well as by officers possessing extended military experience; so that whatever preparations may be made, or course of action resolved upon, the steps taken in case of war breaking out may be uniform, may be such as will excite sympathy and confi- dence hi the nation at large, and, at the same time, such as will har- monize with the necessities of campaigning and the general arrange- ments of military service. Keeping the several objects I have named in view, I propose, lstly, to lay before you a brief sketch of the circum- stances which gave rise to the International Congress in 1864 ; 2ndly, to explain the results of the Congress, as exhibited in the articles of the Convention acceded to by Her Majesty’s Government; and, 3rdly, to describe the functions of the National Committees which have been formed in the principal countries of Europe, as well as to submit a few reasons for the establishment of a similar committee in this country. Firstly, then, as to the history of the Congress. No one who studied the moral and political progress of a nation can fail to notice the pro- minence of certain successive periods in its history, within each of which a general condition has been arrived at, notably favourable for the development of some fresh and important advance in civilisation which has followed. It seems to be similar in moral progress to what we often observe in the progress of physical science, which, owing to successive additions to its stores of knowledge, and to concurrent cir- cumstances, from time to time reaches such a stage of improvement, that important discoveries, or valuable applications of the information already g’ained, spring from it, almost spontaneously, as it were, and occur to the minds of several individuals nearly at one and the same moment. The apostles of moral and political advancement, whose names are household words among us, have, in frequent instances, owed their success and influence, not merely to their own zealous efforts, but also to the fact that they raised their voices at a time when many had become prepared and well disposed to listen; whereas others, equally zealous, and of equal power, had previously failed in advocating the same doctrines, because the period favourable for their reception had not yet arrived. So it seems to have been in respect to the International Congress and treaty of which we are now speaking. There was nothing in the