Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-05-15
Mss nloHrlneALE.s BlRrHDAy

MISS NloHTiHoALE's BIRTHDAY.
Florence Nightingale, the famous
crimean war nurse, is being showered
with congratulations today on having
reached her eightieth birthday.
There were a number OF callers at
her residence, all of whom we're re-
eeiyed and welcomed, although the
health OF the venerable heroine 70
MOI Of the best. Queen Alexandras
concentrations, In the form OF an au'
t.,praph letter. we're delivered 10 MISS
Nightingale by special messenger.
Dispatches couched in ieiicitous
nhrases were also received from ON
s. crowned heads OF Europe and from
nersans Of note in all parts oil the
world. So reads one Of today's press
dispatches.
Miss Nightingale IS now a tan "o
man. rather stout, with gray hair and
fine. open face. Although a great SUI
ferer, she shows little trace Of IT, sne
spends most Of her time in reading
Her room is Uttered with magazines
newspapers. writing paper, pencils
and letters. she loathes anyt9eSl
the form OF publicity and seldom
grant an interview but to any one VINO
seeks advice on questions affecting
| the interests OF the sick or thdse VINO
nurse them. A hearty welcome anu
4 word OF encouragement and counsel
are always cheerfully accorded. Sne
has a very comfortable home on u
Of the best streets In the west end Of
London.
Miss Nightingale. who owes her
fame to her labors in reforming the
sanitary condition OF the British army,
was born at Florence in 1873. She
visited and inspected civil n mill
tary hospitals all over Europe, STUD
led with the Sisters OF Charity in Par
IS the system of nursing and manage
ment carried out in the hospitals OF
that city, and. In 1861, went into tram,
ing "a d nurse in the institution 81
Protestant Deaconesses at kaisers-
worth. on the Rhine. On her return
TO England she put into thorough
working order the sanitarium for gov
ernesses In connection with the Lon
don Institution. In the spring OF 1890
war was declared with Ru STA, and q
British army Of 5000 men sailed u
the East. Alma was fought on sep
tamber 20. and the wounded from
the battle were sent down to the hos
pitfalls prepared for their reception u
me banks Of the Bosphorus. In this
crisis Miss Nightingale offered TO sc
out and organize a nursing depart
ment at Scutari. The offer was glad
II accepted by the var office, anc
within a week she departed with heI
nurses. She arrived at Constantine
pie on the eve of the battle CT axe
mann-the beginning of the terrible
winter campaign-in time TO receive
the wounded from that second batue
into wards already filled with 1900 pa
TENTS.
In the spring Of 1855, while in th'
crimea organizing the nursing depart
ments Of the camp hospitals, she wa'
FRUSTRATED with fever, the result o
nnremitting toll and anxiety. yet sh'
refused to leave her post, and on ne
recovery remained at Scutari unii
Turkey a evacuated by the British
July rs, 1856. II is known that 10
years Miss Nightingale has been al
invalid. Ii Is not so well known tina
her sick room has been the scene 0
the most constant and arduous labo
for the improvement Of the soldier
In 1858 she published her Notes OF
Nursing" At the close of the Grim
can wal a fund of $250.00O was sub
scribed for the purpose of enabiinl
her to form an institution for IN
Training OF nurses.