Scheme of Co-operation between the Institution, the St. John Ambulance Brigade, the British Red Cross and St. Andrew's Ambulance Association.

By GEORGE F. SHEE, M.A., Secretary of the Institution.

WHEN the Institution was founded on of the duties which it undertook was th care of the shipwrecked after they ha( been rescued. The third resolution, a the inaugural meeting in 1824, propose by the Bishop of London, was " Tha such immediate assistance be afiorde to persons rescued as their necessitie may require." This duty the Institution continued to perform until 1854, when i was taken off by the Shipwrecked Fisher men and Mariners' Royal Benevolen; Society, by which it is still performed.

There still remains, however, one gap small but important, in the chain o care for those in peril of shipwreck round our coasts, from the momenl when their distress is seen by the Coasl G-uard to the moment when, rescued by the Life-boat, they are taken charge oJ by the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society It not infrequently happens that some of the rescued have sustained injuries, more or less serious, or are so exhausted by exposure as to need instant medical attention. Up to the present moment there has been no completely organised system for giving first - aid to those, whether among the rescued or Lifeboat- men themselves, who come ashore in j ured.

This gap it is hoped soon to fill. For some time past the Institution has been in consultation with the St.

John Ambulance Brigade in England and Wales, with whom the idea originated, with St. Andrew's Ambulance Association in Scotland, and with the British Red Cross Society. In some ports, such as Plymouth, there has been in the past a close liaison between the Life-boat Station and the local Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade.

This liaison it is hoped to extend to the majority of Stations. In England and Wales the liaison will be with the St.

John Ambulance Brigade, and at Stations where there is no Division of the Brigade, with the British Red Cross Society. In Scotland it will be with St. Andrew's Ambulance Association.

Later on it is hoped to extend the co- operation to Ireland.

As soon as the Institution receives complete information with names, ad- dresses and telephone numbers of the local Divisions of the Brigade and the Red Cross Society, and of the St.

Andrew's Ambulance Association in Scotland, it is proposed to write to the Honorary Secretary of every Life-boat Station concerned, giving him this information, asking him to get into touch with the local representative of the Brigade, Society or Association, as the case may be, and asking him also, as a matter of routine, whenever the Life- boat is called out on service or exercise, to notify this representative at the iarliest possible moment, so that its ambulance and trained workers, all of whom are volunteers, may be assembled, and remain on duty, ready to give irst-aid to any who may be injured, dther during the Launch or immediately ;he Life-boat returns ashore. It is loped also that Honorary Secretaries will encourage members of the Life- soat Crews, where possible, to attend ,sses in first-aid themselves. That, however, is an addition on which the success of the main scheme in no way depends.

The scheme has been put forward with the greatest cordiality by the John Ambulance Brigade, and eceived with equal cordiality by St.

Andrew's Ambulance Association and the kitish Red Cross Society. All three ocieties have, in fact, shown the greatest desire to see the scheme put nto practice. It has, I need hardly ay, been taken up very warmly by the nstitution, for the Committee of lanagement are convinced that through he co-operation of these Societies, and if our own Honorary Secretaries at itations, this scheme may do much to elieve the suffering of the shipwrecked, nd, apart altogether from that imme- iate and practical aim, cannot but have ;s value in bringing together different odies all working for the common ideal f diminishing human suffering.

An advance proof of this article was sent to the British Red Cross Society and appeared in its Journal for July.

To it was added the following very hearty endorsement of the scheme, with instructions to the Society's Detachments how to act.

" The British Red Cross Society greatly hopes that the scheme of co-operation with the Royal National Life-boat Institution will be warmly adopted by Detachments in towns possessing Life-boats and that Detach- ments will organize a definite service, that is to say, when it becomes known that the Life-boat is called out, members of the Detachment should proceed to a pre-arranged First Aid Station near the Life-boat slip, which station of course should contain at all times, blankets, first-aid equipment and equipment for the preparation of hot drinks. Mem- bers should be standing by to render first aid and general assistance, both to the Crew of the Life-boat and to the shipwrecked persons until the Life- boat returns and it is known whether their services are needed or not.".