The formation and early days of the St Andrew's Ambulance Association / by Sir George Thos. Beatson, surgeon to the Western Infirmary, Glasgow.

  • Beatson, George Thomas, Sir.
Date:
[1910]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The formation and early days of the St Andrew's Ambulance Association / by Sir George Thos. Beatson, surgeon to the Western Infirmary, Glasgow. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    a delicate one, his friends when referring to it always spoke of it as his “first appearance in print.” My position, as regards my letter to the Glasgow Herald, may be similarly described, but I wish it to be understood that no such “First-Aid ” associations belong to it. That letter is too long to read, but the gist of it was that we should form in Glasgow a centre of the St. John’s Ambulance Association for instructional purposes, and have a separate hospital and accident am¬ bulance service for removal of sick and injured, the wagons being stationed at the infirmaries. If reference is made to the letter announcing my appoint¬ ment to the executive, it will be noticed that I did not reply to it until 24th June. I think you will quite under¬ stand my delay in answering. I had lectured for three winters for the St. John’s Ambulance Association, and I felt under some obligation to it. Further, I hesitated to accept office when I held such divergent views from the whole body of my colleagues, for I hold that if an individual cannot conscientiously in a matter accept the ruling of a majority, he is bound in honour to stand aside. I considered the matter for three weeks, when I decided that I would sink my own individual opinions and go in loyally with the majority; so, on 24th June, 1882, I wrote accepting office, and since that day I have been a member of our Association, and seen it through its career of progress and ultimate success. Although it was June of 1882 before the draft constitution of the Association was gone over and passed and the first active executive was appointed, those who had primarily launched the Association earlier in the year were not idle, and they issued notices bringing its aims and work before the public. One of the earliest of these 1 have also preserved, and it states explicity the proposed objects for which the Association was established, and also gives an indication of the amount of money that would be needed. This is stated to be about £2,000, it being expected that the future cost of the Association would be fully covered by the members’ subscriptions and annual donations. A very hearty response was given to the appeal, and an ambulance wagon was ordered. Colonel Mactear, the Chairman, also designed a special ambulance box, which was adopted by the Association, as being in every way convenient, and holding all the neces¬ sary material for treating the wounded. In April, 1882, the new ambulance wagon was delivered, and there were issued notices in reference to it. Copies of