Wichita eagle., 1886-09-03
IN THE CRIMEA.
FLORENCE NlGHTINGALE'S WORK
AMONG THE SICK SOLDIERS.

FLORENCE NIGH IN1AlE'S WORK
AMONG THE SICK SOLDIERS.
Her Training as . Nurse-Trip to Turkey.
En- Route Through France-Reducing
the Death Rate in the Barrack Hos
pital.
Florence Nightingale, born in 1870 in Flor.
ence, Italy, is the youngest of two daughters
Of William Shore Nightingale, wealthy
land owner Of England Most Of her life has
been spent on their beautiful estate, Lea
Hurst, in Derbyshire. In her youth her
father instructed her carefully in the classics
and higher mathematics. A few years later,
partly from extended travel, she became pro-
ficient in French. German and Italian.
Whenever her family visited London, in
stead Of giving her time to concerts or par
ties, Florence visited hospitals and benevo-
lent institutions. VIII n they Travelled in
Germany, or France, or Italy, she visited in
firmaries CT hospitals. So interested did she
become in the sick that she spent some years
at the Deaconess institute at kaiserworth,
Germany, learning how to be nurse. On
her return to London she took charge Of a
hospital for sick governesses, giving up her
own elegant home, for the sake of doing good
in the world.
AMONG THE ENGLISH SOLDIERS.
In the early part of the Crin,ean war there
was great suffering and death among the
English soldiers from the rigors of the eli
mate, insufficient care and cholera. The secre-
tary OF war knew of but one person who could
bring comfort to those far away hospitals,
Al Il p,,A
she was in frail health, sick and refined, and
it was doubtful if she would go thousands of
miles away from home to live in feverish
wards where there were only men.
The same day on which the secretary asked
her if for the sake of England she would go to
Turkey, she had written him, offering her SER
vices. The whole country was delighted.
When she and her band of nurses passed
through France, hotel keepers would take no
pay for their accommodation, and the fisher
women at Boulogne struggled for the honor
of carrying their baggage.
When they reached the great Barrack hos
pital, ct Sentari, they found 4,0O0 men lying
so close together on mattresses that a person
could scarcely make his way between them.
Her coming did not meet the approval of
military or medical officials at first, but she
soon won her way by her tact and good sense.
The soldiers often wept, as for the first time
in months, even years, woInan's hand ad-
justed their pillows and a wonan's voice
soothed their sorrows.
As soon as the wounded were attended to,
she established an invalid kitchen, where APP
petizing food could be prepared. Here she
overlooked the cooking for 500 men, who could
not eat ordinary food Then she opened
laundry. The beds and sheets of the men
We're in a filthy condition, some wearing the
ragged clothing in which they were brought
down from tie Crimea.
She aided the senior chaplain in establish
fishing library and school room and in get
ting up evening lectures for the men. She
supplied books and games, wrote letters for
the sick, and forw arded their little savings to
their home friends.
DID Il WONDERFUL WORK.
For year and a half, till the close Of the
war, she did q wonderful work, reducing the |
death rate in the Barrac. hospital from 60
per cent. to a little above per cent Said
The London Times correspondent: "Wher |
ever there is disease in its most dangerous /
form, and the hand of the despoiler distress
ingly nigh, there is that Incompatible woman
sure to be seen. Her benignant presence is an
influence for good comfort, even amid the
struggles of expiring nature. She is a minis
tering angel without any exaggeration, in
these hospitals, and as her slender form glides
quietly along each corridor, every poor fel- |
lows face softens with gratitude at the sight /,
of her. When all the medical officers have
retired for the night, and silence and dark
ness have settled down upon these miles of
prostrate sick, she may be observed, alone,
with little lamp in her hand, making her
solitary rounds"
Finally this war came to an end. London
was preparing to give Miss Nightingale a
rovai welcome. when, 10! she took passage by
design on French steamer, and reached Lea
Hurst August Is, 1856, unbeknown to any
ons. There was a murmur of disappointment
at first, but the people could only honor all
the more the woman who wished no blare of
for her humane acts
Queen Victoria sent for her to visit her at
Balmoral, and presented her with a valuable
jewel; ruby, red enamel cross on white
field. enriched by q black band with the
words. Blessed are the Merciful." The let
ters V r., surrnountei by crown in dia-
monds. are impressed upon the center of the
cross Green enamAled branches of palm
tipped with gold, form the framework Of the
shield, while around their stems is a riband
Of blue enamel with the single word -Crimea"
On the top are three brilliant stars of dia-
monds. On the back is an inscription writ
ten by the queen. The sultan sent her a mag
uificent bracelet, and the government $780,
100 to found the school for nurses at st.
Thomas hospital
Since the war Miss Nightingale has never
been in strong health, but she has written sew
eral valuable books. Her Hospital Notes"
published in 1859, have furnished plans for
cores of new hospitals. Her Notes on Nurs-
ng," published in 1860, of which over 100, 900
lave been sold, deServes to be in every