Although mention of blood transfusion dates back to the origin of medicine, it may be said that the genuine history of transfusion starts at the beginning of our century.

Since then transfusion has passed through several decisive phases, but it is only in the past twenty years that it has made spectacular progress and has become one of the essential components of modern medicine.

In its January 1973 issue, International Review published a short article on a humanitarian venture launched in Latin America over 150 years ago, when a treaty on rules of war was signed on 26 November 1820 by representatives of the Governments of Colombia and Spain, and led to the historic accolade between Simdn Bolivar and Pablo Morillo at Santa Ana the following day.

At the request of the Israel and Syrian Governments, the ICRC, on 1 and 6 June 1974, repatriated wounded and able-bodied prisoners of war of both countries. The Swiss Government made three aircraft available for the operations.

From 8 to 23 May 1974, the ICRC delegate-general for Africa, accompanied by two other delegates—one of them a doctor—visited the 330 persons detained in Rhodesia under the emergency regulations. The three ICRC delegates went to places of detention at Salisbury, Chikurubi, Marandellas, Wankie, Que Que, Wha Wha, Gwelo, Hokonui Ranch, Sengwe and Buffalo Range. As usual, they talked freely and without witnesses with detainees of their choice. The delegates provided the detainees with relief supplies.

On the occasion of their visit to the Belgian community in Geneva, Their Majesties the King and Queen of Belgium called on 6 June 1974 at the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

On 8 June, 180 members of the Association française des anciennes déportées et internées de la Résistance called to thank the ICRC and its delegates for the aid they had been rendered on their release from the Ravensbrück camp.

The theme underlying the new film Humanity First, produced by the ICRC, is why and how the fundamental principles of humanity, incorporated in the Geneva Conventions, should be taught. These basic rules should be made known more extensively among school children, university students and members of the armed forces.