Up until the middle of the 19th century, there were no organized and well-established army nursing systems for casualties and no safe and protected institutions to accommodate and treat those who were wounded on the battlefield.
Ata mediados do século XIX non existía nos exércitos un servizo de enfermería organizado e ben establecido para atender as baixas e tampouco ningunha institución segura e protexida onde poder acomodar e atender os feridos no campo de batalla.