New-York tribune., 1908-03-17
THE QUEEN OF NURSES.

Some suggestions which were offered the Otner
day concerning the fitness OF worlds memorial
of Shakespeare might be perfectly apphed'
mutatis mutandis to yesterdays Impressive IN
cident at the GuildhalI in London. Seen through
Gradgrnd's glasses nothing could have Deen
more useless than to beStOw the freedom OF the
CITY of London upon Florence Nightingale. Ger
tainy she did not need it to add to her fame nor
is it likely to be of any practical use to the ven
GRATED woman who has not been outside OF her
Park Lane home in a dozen years Yet we THINK
that the world will regard the incident WIN
sympathetic approval, as it did few months
ago the Kings bestowal upon her OF the decora-
ton of the Order of Merit. These things are
not for her reward or glorification. but are ue-
notements Of the British nations appreciation
of her labors and of its worthiness to enjoy thelr
benefits.
It is now less than fifty -four years since Flor
ence Nightingale began her work That is only
the span of not long lifetime Yet It measures
the advance of the world from barbarism TO
humanity. The difference between the hospitals
at the beginning of the Crimean War and those
in the Russo-Japanese War is the difference De-
tween savagery and civilization. beIore fior
ence Nightingale began her work at Scutarl on
the dav before Inkerman women had been en-
pIoyed as nurses in army hospitals, but they mad
been dismissed from all British hospitals because
of their general ignorance, drunkenness ano lh-
morality Men had taken their places. with
LITTLE gain in intelligence or sODriety, and the
result was that the most unfortunate soldiers
in the army were those who, failing to find
spee{ly death on the field sent to the hos
pitfalls to die of gangrene Nor could there be
more striking proof of the complacently De-
nighted state of mind with which these things
were regarded than is found in the words OF
Lady Palmerston, who publicly condoned drunk
enness among nurses and denounced Florence
Nightingale's movement for reform as a great
humbug.''
1t was into that internal slough of ignorance
misery and death that this devoted woman de-
scended with all her endOwments of wealth,
learning. refinement and social culture. The
revolution which she wrought is bright page
in the history of the world. From 1t every ma
ton has greatly prOfted, in peace as well as in
war. She had been denied the privilege or
studying for and entering the medical profes-
sion. wherefore 1t splendid revenge Tor
her to found new profession which was des-
tined soon to become the chief adjunct and aid
of that from which she had been excluded. Nor
has her work, despite Lady Palmerstons con-
tempt, been unappreciated, even from the be-
ginning 1t was less than two years after her
advent at Scutari that she returned to England
and was presented to Queen Victoria who de
cared herself delighted and very much struck
with her great gentleness, simplicity, and Won
"derful, clear and comprehensive head" charac-
terstically adding: Il wish we had her at the
War Officer' The royal opinion thus expressed
has for half a century been the popular opinion
OF the world, and among those who have in our
time received hOnors from the hand of the Brit
ish sovereign and from the Corporation of the
British metropolis there is none whom mankind
will regard as more worthy than Florence Night
ingale.