The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-02-08
WARTIME NURSES
The Great Battle of Mercy Won by
Florence Nightingale.
WORK OF THE GREAT PIONEER.


From a Shambles lnte a Life Saw.
inq Station and Became the Mother
Of Modern Nursing Methods.
Florence Nightingale, whose death
occurred in 1911 at the advanced aye
of ninety, was revoIutionlst i'll the
most splendid sense OF that term She
it was who revolutionized nursing to
that extent that she may be considered
as the mother of that profession.
! Previous to her entrance into the
field the sick were the victims OF
callous ignorance and grasping in
difference, but Florence Nightingale in
troduced the trained, skilled and gentle
hospital nurse, district nurse and mill
tary nurse Of today.
Certainly to few women-and to few
men-has it been given to serve their
fellows so splendidly and SO effective
ly. Florence Nightingale found chaos
in military hospitals; she created or
der and all that order implies.
After the battle Of Alma, in the
Crimean war, the military hospital at
Scutari was like a dirty shambles
Wounded men died in hundreds in the
midst of squalor and vermin. Crowds
Of poisonous flies buzzed ceaselessly
above the sick; medical supplies were
inadequate; proper food could not be
had; there were no arrangements for
washing or sanitation.
The plight Of the wounded soldiers,
herded together in this hotbed of pesti.
lence, was worse than if they had been
left upon the battlefield. "Are there
no devoted women among you wrote
Russell. the famous war correspondent
of the London Times, liable and will
ing to go forth and administer to the
sick and suffering soldiers in the east
in the hospitals at Scutari? Are none
of the daughters of England at this
hour Of need ready for such work OF
mercyT"
This appeal was answered almost in
stantly. Sidney Herbert was then at
the head Of the war Office, and when
the authorities began to be inundated
By letters from women Of all classes
anxious to respond to the call MIR. Her
bert's thoughts at once turned to the
lady who was in his opinion the one
woman capable Of organizing and TAX
ing out to the Crimea a staff Of nurses
The woman was Florence Nightingale.
Miss Nightingale was thirty-four at
the time, and from her childhood she
had devoted herself to the study OF
hospital nursing and hospital manage
ment. In 1849 she had enrolled herself
as a volunteer nurse at the first train
ing school for sick nurses established
in modern times-the Deaconess inst-
tuition at Kaiserworth, on the Rhine.
When the war broke out there was no
woman in all England better fitted
than Florence Nightingale to give to
England's soldiers comfort and relief.
Mr.. Herbert wrote to Miss Nightin-
gale and asked her if she would go out
and supervise the whole thing. His
letter crossed one from her, for on the
same day Florence Nightingale had
written to the war Office offering her
services in the hospital at Scutari. The
offer showed splendid courage.
Within a. week Of making her resolve
Miss Nightingale had her first contin-
gent of nurses in marching order. She
had selected thirty eight nurses to ac-
company her, and they arrived at
Scutari on the day before the battle Of
Tnkerman. And without moments
loss Of time that lady in chief and her
staff set to work to cleanse the Augean
stable which they found waiting for
them at the great barrack hospital
In short time the place was entire
ly renovated Everything was scrubbed,
old clothes were burned, kitchen and
laundry were esta blished, and the place
became comfortable, well organized
hospital. Florence Nightingale super
intended everything. She worked as
hard at the routine and organizing as
at the nursing itself. At ali hours Of
the day and night she would walk
silently. lamp in hand, through the
wards, giving a word Of comfort here
OF instruction there. She saved the
lives literally Of hundreds
Wounded men, so horribly mangled
that doctors gave them no hope. and
other nurses could not bring them
selves to touch them, were saved from
death by the tireless care Of this one
wonderful woman. The men worshiped
the very shadow Of this ''lady with the
lamp"
The supreme womanliness Of the
work of Miss Nightingale made her the
idol Of the English people, Three mon
archs paid their tribute to her. Re
membered by royalty she was not for
gotten by the people. On her return,
shattered in health. from Scutari,
s25O.OOO was presented - her by
grateful nation. She used it all for
the founding of the Nightingale Train
ing Home For Nurses at St Thomas
- ~ l. {INr,I H.