Crimean War: Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole and nursing Flashcards
When did Nightingale join the war effort?
Oct 21 alongside 38 volunteer female nurses
- she arrived a Scutari where there were sick wounded soldiers being badly cared for by overworked staff
- short supply of medicine and neglected hygiene
What did Nightingale do in the hospitals?
reorganised kitchens, improved foods
cleaned wards, washed bed linen
Arranged for school room and library
Prejudice against women in hospitals
Dr John Hall wanted her shipped back to Britain, yet only kept her when there was a flood of wounded soldiers who required attending
- Nightingale’s influence grew as she gained funds to purchase necessities
Initially, what were the conditions like at Scutari despite Nightingale’s actions?
52% of patients died Feb 1855
- she had no understanding of the dangers of polluted war, lack of ventilation and poor hygiene
- no germ theory
1855 Sanitary commission
Clean up ordered:
rubbish cleared, walls whitewashed, dead animals removed
- miasma from germs
Resulted in lowering of mortality rates
After returning to Britain, what changes did Nightingale make?
Royal Commission on the Health of the Army was appointed in 1857
She realised the deaths of soldiers at hospitals was due to poor hygiene and sanitation
- promoted thorough overhaul of health and improvement of sanitary conditions
- sanitation and diet in army barracks and military hospitals improved
Florence Nightingale: Hospital design
She made extensive efforts to identify best types of hospitals to improve design, relating to issues of management, provision and hospital construction
- had a profound effect on the future of these buildings throughout Europe
Florence Nightingale: The Nightingale training school
Nov 1855: public meeting gave recognition to her and led to the establishment of Nightingale Fund for training nurses
- 45K and she set up the school at St Thomas Hospital in 1860
Florence Nightingale: Influence in india
1858-9: successfully lobbied for establishment of Royal Commission into health of soldiers in India, being completed in 1863
- resulted in sanitary reform, significant decline in mortality of soldiers
- helped improve medical care in India generally
Mary Seacole: who was she
daughter of a Jamaican woman who was taught herbal remedies by her mother
Seacole was denied by Nightingale for help and thus sailed to Balaclava and set up a ‘hotel’
What was ‘The British Hotel’?
a part hotel part store part clinic setup by Seacole and Thomas Day ( old business partner)
- soldiers could enjoy hot food and shelter, small comforts like tea, coffee and blankets and fresh bread
- popular with ordinary soldiers and officers ( served better food than rations like soups)
- no gambling and it closed at 8pm
When did Mary Seacole treat patients?
In the mornings after breakfast, using her folk-medicine
Mary Seacole’s visits to the battlefield:
Seacole visited battlefields carrying first aid supplies on mules
1855 Sept she watched allied attacks on Sevastopol where she treated wounded and dying and was the first woman on allied side to city when Russians withdrew
Who did Mary meet at Sevastopol?
War correspondent William H Russell who became her advocate
After her business back in England failed, what happened?
A letter to times magazine appealed to the public about her efforts
- supporters praised her skilful hand with a fundraising concert
