1901. Small folio, elegant manuscript penned in a single italic hand in black ink, ff. [2], 68, [1] blank, [1] ‘table des matières’; with nine photographs mounted on thick card and a further mounted photographic image reproducing a sketched illustration, 18 leaves of neatly executed manuscript technical drawings, and 8 leaves of further technical drawings printed in blue on coarser paper stock (all somewhat browned and stained), some light marginal browning and toning throughout, with some occasional foxing and soiling, but overall clean and bright; in contemporary red half morocco, with marbled endpapers, spine in compartments with raised bands, lettered in gilt, head and tail of spine rubbed and scuffed with some minor loss, with further scuffing to surfaces, front board corners a little stained, with pencil annotations at upper joint, extremities bumped and lightly worn; a good copy. A finely produced manuscript, possibly a proof copy or for presentation, of this detailed comparative report discussing rail transport of wounded and sick military personnel, and noting in particular the rise and development across the United States and Europe of dedicated fleets of medical carriages and trains.
Médecin-Major Paul Rédard (1850-1916) was in charge of French military railway hospitals, and had produced his first report in 1882 (published in 1885). In this update, he outlines new measures, regulations and improvements put into place by America, Germany, Austro-Hungary, Russia, Switzerland, England, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Turkey and France itself, since 1885. This beautifully penned manuscript includes ten mounted photographs illustrating two British trains, built for service in South Africa, and of which Rédard was highly complimentary. The large photographs show the exteriors of the railway carriages, the linen store, pharmacy, dining room, kitchen, ‘wards’ for the wounded, and doctor’s quarters. This updated and revised report was published by Doin of Paris in 1902, the technical diagrams and reproduced in lithograph, with two photographic plates.
The development of railway systems during the mid 19th century had had a profound effect upon the speed and efficiency by which medical supplies, aid and treatment could be provided by military and volunteer medics and stretcher bearers to battlefield casualties. Dedicated medical train carriages came into being around the time of the formation of Societies for the Relief of the Wounded following on from the first Geneva Convention of 1864, though were initially often poorly equipped, badly ventilated, and with little provision for ancillary services such as kitchens, supply stores, or dedicated wagons for medical staff. Several significant improvements, however, were made by the Prussians during the 1870-1871 Franco-German War, including dedicated wagons acting as a kitchen, one for medical stores, and another for food supplies, and one for the doctors with a pharmacy. Such was the increased focus of attention on this area of medical importance, that at the Universal Exhibition held in Vienna in 1873, a special section dedicated to ambulance equipment was included, as countries all sought to construct the perfect ambulance/sanitary train, simply and practically installed, and which could be used in times of both war and peace (adapted to become freight wagons).
Paul Rédard (1850-1916) graduated in medicine in 1879 and devoted himself to orthopaedic surgery. He was the author of a number of works including on spinal curvature, and orthopaedic gymnastics, and together with François Larant (fl. 1895-) published in 1900 the first French atlas of orthopaedic radiography. At the time of publication, he was Chief Medical Officer for the State Railways. At the beginning of the First World War, Rédard took an active role in the organization of orthopaedic and electrotherapy services in the military hospitals to which he was attached. He died in 1916 from pneumonia contracted in the course of his work.
Provenance: from the ‘The Railway Collection of the Late Sir William McApline, BT. (1936-2018)’ sold by Forum Auctions on November 19th, 2020, Lot 81.