international response to the 1915 serbian typhus epidemic administering angels angela bowen potter...

I N T E R N AT I O N A L R E S P O N S E T O T H E 1 9 1 5 S E R B I A N T Y P H U S E P I D E M I C

ADMINISTERING ANGELS

Angela Bowen PotterIUPUI- WIMPS Presentation

September 30, 2014

KATHLEEN BURKESCOTTISH WOMEN'S HOSPITAL

ADMINISTERING ANGELS

ADMINISTERING ANGEL

ANGELS OF MERCY

ORGANIZED WOMEN

TYPHUS EPIDEMIC 1915

ADMINISTERING ANGELS IN ACTION

INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE TO TYPHUS

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SERBIA TYPHUS EPIDEMIC 1915INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN RELIEF PROJECT

• Conference Paper• Digital Map• Digital Timeline

SERBIA 1914

THE BALKAN CAMPAIGNS 1914

HumanitariansTyphus

2nd Balkan CampaignDecember 1914

1st Balkan CampaignJuly 1914

ALLIED VIEW OF SERBIA

SERBIAN RED CROSS

HumanitariansTyphus

1914 EFFORTS

1914 BRITISH EFFORTS

Flora SandesBritish Volunteer with

Mrs. Grujic 9/1914

First SRF Assistance 11/1914

SERBIAN RELIEF FUND

BRITISH RED CROSS IN SERBIA

BRX in Skopje, 1915 BRX in Skopje, 1915

AMERICAN RED CROSS

TYPHUS “RAISE IT’S UGLY HEAD”DECEMBER 1914

TYPHUS CASES JANUARY-MARCH 1915

TYPHUS EPIDEMIC

New Discoveries Typhus

“THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION”JANUARY 1915

RUSSIAN IMAGES OF TYPHUS

SCOTTISH WOMEN’S HOSPITALS: “SEND US WHERE WE ARE MOST NEEDED”

JANUARY 1915

Telegraph, January 1915

Fundraising, January 1915

VALJEVO “SORT THE LIVING FROM THE DEAD”

Emily Simmons, ARC

FRENCH MISSIONS

DEVELOPING A COORDINATED PLAN?

1. Skopje Plan- February 1915• British Red Cross, Serbian Relief Fund and Serbian Civilian

Government• Medical and Public Health Missions2. RAMC Plan- February 1915• British Royal Army Medical Corps, British Government and

Serbian Military• Public Health & Education3. Paris Plan- March 1915• French, American and British Red Crosses and government• Divide Serbia into districts, with American and Brattish

sectors

SKOPJE PLAN- FEBRUARY 1915Dr. Katherine McPhail,

SWHBritish Red Cross,

Serbian Relief Fund and Serbian Civilian

GovernmentMedical and Public

Health Missions

BERRY MISSION

RAMC PLAN- FEBRUARY 1915BRITISH ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS, BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND

SERBIAN MILITARY PUBLIC HEALTH &

• Education

RAMC PLAN- FEBRUARY 1915

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S C O TT I S H W O M E N ’ S H O S P I TA L S

DR. ELISE INGLIS

SERBIAN RELIEF FUNDMARCH 1915

Claire StobartFirst Field Flying

Hospital

SERBIAN SANITARY RELIEF COMMISSIONAMERICAN RED CROSS AND ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION

FRENCH MEETINGMARCH, 30 1915

MARCH 30, 1915

APRIL 1915

SWH

SUMMER 1915

PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION

FALL 1915

Before After

FALL 1915

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 1915- RETREAT

RETREAT

I N S E R B I A

REMEMBERING THE EPIDEMIC

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REMEMBERING THE EPIDEMIC

SWH SRF

CONCLUSIONS

1. Early example of a large scale international humanitarian effort.

2. Mission advanced the state of medical research and type of response to epidemics. Used later in the war.

3. Missions developed a new format of combining medical missions with public health efforts.

4. Response built broader commitments to the Serbian Front.

5. Demonstrated that women could serve on the front lines as doctors and nurses.

6. Analysis of the administration of the efforts show the role of World War I in the way relief administered. Shows the need of a lead agency to coordinate the effort.

NEW ADMINISTERING ANGEL?ERNEST BICKNELL

ADMINISTERING ANGEL

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