The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-03-04

Did you ever think what war would be like if there were no nurses to care for the wounded men? It wasn't so long ago that there were no wo. men to go into military hospitals to see that the soldiers brought in from the battlefield were properly bathed, fed and cared for. The name of Florence Nightingale is dear to ev. cry soldier and sailor. for 1t was she who founded nursing as pro- fession for women.
 Florence Nightingale. an English girl Of wealthy parentage. was born almost one hundred years ago. All her life she tried to protect helpless or injured things. AS a child it was flowers or animals that she couldn't bear to see hurt or injured Later 1t was the soldiers of her country for whom she labored. One winter in London-it was the winter of her social debut-Florence Night ingale visited hospital. She was appalled, by the dirty. unsanitary con ditions and decided then and there to become a nurse, in order to make just such places clean and whole some for the sick. In spite of the protests of her family and friends, she gave up her society life and for twelve years travelled on the conti. nent of Europe visiting and study ing in hospitals.
 Shortly after her return to Eng land to found hospital there. the Crimean war broke out. There was terrible mismanagement in the mili- tay hospitals. Supplies were lack ing; two thousand wounded men at Scutari were lying for days in mud and filth, just as they had been brought from the battlefield; sick men were packed together in hordes, sometimes on the bare floor; the place-it could hardly be called a hospital-was alive with rats and vermin; there was no soap O. tow. els, and only one kind of food, Irish stew. for men so i'll that they should have had the most careful nursing and delicate food. Into this scene of misery and sQualor came Florence Nightingale, called by the British government as the first woman nurse to enter a British military hospital. She came with a group of women from her own hospital and seemed a real angel of mercy to those sick and dying men. The dirt was cleaned away; the men bathed and given fresh clothing; new temporary build ings were built; good food was serv- ed the men; letters home were writ ten for them, and the number of those who had recovered from their wounds was increased greatly. All this was due to the work of this one woman, Florence Nightingale, and her corps of workers. It is no wonder that the soldiers of Crimea have idolized her and that they raised large sum of money to show their gratitude. This money Flor ence Nightingale accepted on the condition that it be used to found the first hospital training school for girls. The school, bearing her name, is in London today.
 The Geneva Convention
 Florence Nightingale's work did not end with the Crimean war. Her service awakened in others a re. sponsive chord of sympathy. Among these was young Swiss, Henri Dunant, who, several years later published a book called "A Souvenir of Solferino," giving an account of horrors which he had witnessed on the battlefelds of Solferino. and his descriptions were so vivid that the subject became at once one of great public interest. Dunant's great in. spiration was the idea of an interna' tional organization. to carry on the work that Florence Nightingale had done alone in Crimea. Its purpose would be to prepare in time of peace for war, SO that the scenes of Scu tari might never be repeated; and to work for this not nation by na tion alone. but all nations together He saw that, like playing a game one person could do little alone. but with team work much could be ac complished. His book was widely read, and many people became in terested in his idea.
 The matter was pushed by Gustave Moynier, and an unofficial congress to consider the whole question oi care for wounded soldiers, was called in Geneva, Henri Dunant's home city, in October, 1863. This was followed by an official congress called the Geneva Convention, called by the Swiss government in 1864 The covenant which was there signed in August 1864. on behalf ol the states represented. afterwards re ceived the adherence of every civ