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Red Cross in a peace time role

Index Home While Red Cross was borne out of war, its National societies are engaged in various peace time health actions. These actions include first-aid, disaster relief, blood banking and a range of community health services. Today, in many countries Red Cross operates emergency response teams, contributes to relief efforts after natural and man-made disasters, runs… Continue reading Red Cross in a peace time role

Hundred years of international committee of Red Cross (1863-1963)

Index Home This is fourth in the series of Red-Cross philately blogs. Here we focus on Red Cross stamps from 1963, a year when International committee of Red Cross (ICRC) turned hundred. This was yet another occasion, for the entire world to show solidarity. Just a year ago in 1962, more than 100 countries created a… Continue reading Hundred years of international committee of Red Cross (1863-1963)

Growth of National Societies and Red Cross movement

Index Home Red Cross Movement started in 1863, and the very next year invited delegates from 12 nations had their first conference in Geneva. The founding members agreed that different countries, who agree with the underlying principles of humanity, could form their own National Societies. While the initial purpose of International Red Cross was to take… Continue reading Growth of National Societies and Red Cross movement

Red Cross philately and the two world wars

Index Home Postage stamps and Red Cross share a close relationship. As early as 1870s, postal administrations in France, Germany and Switzerland exempted postage on letters posted by Red Cross organisations or by prisoners of war. Since, it was important to identify such letters, some national red-cross societies printed stamps. These were identification stamps, rather than… Continue reading Red Cross philately and the two world wars

Origin of the Red Cross movement

Index Home Nineteenth century Europe was a war theatre. These conflicts started with Napoleonic wars (1803-1815), and went on with revolution and conflicts of Italian and Prussian unification (1848-1866). Weapons, industries, revolutions, and colonialism were all working in tandem. Conflicts had become more and more devastating. In 1828, Henry Dunant was born in a business family.… Continue reading Origin of the Red Cross movement

Medical services in the sky

Index Home During First World War we began to use airplanes, both as a weapon and as a medical service. In 1917, a British plane evacuated a solder with a broken ankle. This is the first recorded aerial rescue. In the next ten years, British, French, and Germans had all used military air ambulances to evacuate… Continue reading Medical services in the sky

Our governing molecules, from concept to a structure

Index Home A child is a mix of two parents. Gregor Mendel (1822-1884) questioned this belief, and in 1865 he demonstrated that expressed traits are not a mix. Instead, traits are either “dominant” or “recessive”. An inherited dominant trait is invariably expressed. On the other hand, a recessive trait is expressed only when the dominant one… Continue reading Our governing molecules, from concept to a structure

Intensive care: borne out of an epidemic

Index Home Today almost all large hospitals have an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Purpose of this facility is to provide care for the severely ill patients, who often require heroic measures to salvage their failing organs. Today Intensive care is complex, demanding, and relies a lot on a variety of gadgets such as mechanical ventilators, invasive… Continue reading Intensive care: borne out of an epidemic