The doctors' dilemmas: Medical practice in the Free State during the south african war

At the end of the nineteenth century, the actions of belligerents were constrained by the Hague Convention of 1899 and the Geneva Convention of 1864. The Hague Convention differentiated between combatants and non-combatants, but both the British implementation of a scorched earth policy and the Boer execution of blacks violated this convention. The Geneva Convention centred on medical immunity, which presupposes medical neutrality. The British opposed the voluntarism fundamental to the Red Cross movement and all British medical personnel in the field were subservient to the military establishment. Imperial patriotism, the shortcomings of the army and the insistent claims of military necessity subverted best medical practice, producing dilemmas that doctors had to negotiate. On the Boer side too, there was the moral complexity of doctors who were not only medical professionals but also social agents with personal commitments. This article considers the dilemmas that confronted doctors involved in the South African War in the Free State and concludes that trends in dealing with ethical challenges in this war became normative in subsequent conflicts. Teen die einde van die neëntiende eeu is die gedrag van oorlogvoerendes in bedwang gehou deur die Haagse Konvensie van 1899 en die Geneefse Konvensie van 1864. Die Haagse Konvensie het tussen vegtendes en nie-vegtendes onderskei, maar beide die Britse toepassing van 'n verskroeide aardebeleid en die Boere se teregstelling van swartes was skendings van dié konvensie. Die Geneefse Konvensie het gesentreer op mediese immuniteit, wat neutraliteit veronderstel. Die Britse owerhede was gekant teen die volutarisme wat grondliggend aan die Rooikruisbeweging was en al hul mediese personeel te velde was ondergeskik aan die militêre gesag. Imperiale patriotisme, die tekortkominge van die leër en die volgehoue aandrang op militêre noodsaaklikheid het optimale mediese sorg belemmer. Ook aan Boerekant was daar die morele kompleksiteit dat dokters nie net professionele praktisyns was nie maar ook sosiale betrokkenes met persoonlike verbintenisse. In hierdie artikel word die dilemmas in oënskou geneem waardeur dokters betrokke in die Suid-Afrikaanse Oorlog in die Vrystaat gekonfronteer is en word daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat tendense waarneembaar in hierdie oorlog waardeur morele uitdagings die hoof gebied is in latere konflikte normatief geword het.