The Washington herald., 1912-07-21
News Gossip of Interest from
the Courts of the Old World

the Crimsan period. and everywhere the
institutions FOR the care Of the sick were
coming under criticism.
At the time OF the arrival of Queen
Alexandra In England the question Of
sick nursing and hospital arrangements
were about to undergo . thorough revo-
luton. The matter appealed to her SYM
pathies and aroused her enthusiasm and
that Of her sister-in-law. the Princess
Alice, and many other well-born women
throughout the land. She has had the
good fortune to live to see her endeavors
fully accomplished. and to-day she 10 at
the head Of the splendidly organized
Military Nursing Service. the Naval
Nursing Service. the Red Cross and the
Jubilee Nursing Service for the sick and
poor in their own homes. to say nothing
Of minor societies that have her for
their patroness. The London hospitals
also, with their splendidly equipped med
ical and nurse training schools, present
marked contrast to their style OF nifty
years ago. Few have had better oppor-
tunities to note these changes than
Queen Alexandra, who never tires 10 aoa
funds for the hospitals.
II was after a period of great suffering
that Queen Alexandra first began her In
innate personal interest In hospitals In
1867 she was attacked by an acute form
of rheumatism, which invaded her for
long period. The nation was deeply
moved that the young wife and motner
Of barely twenty-three should be 50 sad
ly afflicted, and the remarkable demon
stration of public concern which took
place outside Marlborough House are
matter of history. While thus confined
to a sick couch. her thoughts turned with
a new sympathy toward the sick poor,
and she requested her physicians to have
some toys and books sent in her name to
the children and patients in the hospitals
with which they were connected.
After her convaIescence It was charae-
teristic OF her deeply awakened SYM
pathy with the sick that the Princess of
Wales paid her first public visit to st.
Bartholomew's Hospital, of which her
husband was president 1t was a great
event, for royal visits to institutions of
the kind were not SO frequent then as
now. Indeed, II must be said that even
the best of such places were not In
condition to be shown fifty years ago.
while a surprise visit from royalty Is
poweriess to disturb the unruffied calm OF
modern hospital discipline to-day.
Many hundreds of people congregated
outside ST Bartholomew's when, on her
convalescence. the Princess of Wales
came to visit the patients. Such was
her determination 10 give pleasure to
all that she passed through all the wards.
in spite of some inconvenience in walk
ing. and spoke to a number OF the pa
tents.
And so the deep sympathy with suffer
ing humanity gained a lasting hold on
the heart of the future queen We see
her in the years which followed giving
pleasure to sick people in countless ways.
Now 1t Is the unsophisticated letter Of
some invalid child which she causes to
be answered in the kindest terms. or she
| is testing the spring mattresses in the
women's convalescent home at Hunstan-
ton TO see for herself that they are
comfortable. Again. she comes as a fairy
god-mother to some children's hospital
and herself helps the little ones to make
choice from the boxes Of toys which
she has brought
Or perchance the royal lady stops to
kiss some little mite and the fortunate
poem by Edwin Arnold. Or she is moved
with pity for those with distressing
complaint and at her own expense in
stalls the Finsen Light Cure in the Lon
don Hospital. The nurses who minister
| to the sick poor have a sympathetic friend
in Queen Alexandra, and the garden par
ties which she instituted at Marlborough
House many years ago for tiie7 member OF
\ the Royal Pension Fund for Nurses, were
| the most interesting and unique gather
| ings ever assembled on its beautiful lawns
| No wonder that the English are so ex-
| ceedngly fond of their old Queen and
almost worship her FLANEUR-
Copyright, 1919, By Court Gossip Syndicate)