Summary 1848-60 Flashcards
What two theories were generally believed to be the cause of disease in 1848? How would sickness be treated according to these principles?
The idea of Four Humours: a concept developed by the Ancient Greeks that stated that the body was influenced by four different ‘Humours’ (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) that had to be kept in balance. This was treated using the Theory of Opposites — for example, an illness that was believed to caused by an excess of blood (eg. a fever) could be “treated” by bloodletting.
Miasma Theory: the belief that disease was carried in unpleasant smells and harmful fumes in the air, likely influenced by the fact that people living in dirtier areas appeared to get sick more often. Burning scented herbs to ‘clear foul smells’ or allowing good airflow were some solutions used.
What was the opinion of Florence Nightingale’s family to her career choice? Why?
They were shocked that she wanted to work as a nurse. Florence was from a wealthy middle-class family, and being a nurse was considered a very low-status job at the time.
What challenges did Florence Nightingale encounter in her training as a nurse? How did she work around them?
There was no formal training for nurses in Britain at the time, so she visited various hospitals in the 1840s. She then spent 3 months in a centre in Kaiserwerth, Germany, where training for nurses had begun in 1833
Where and when did Florence Nightingale first work as a nurse?
In 1953, she became superintendent of a small nursing home in London called “the Institution for Sick Gentlewomen in Distressed Circumstances”
What key offer did Florence Nightingale receive? When?
In 1847, Sidney Herbert, Secretary for War, asked Florence Nightingale to take a team of 38 nurses to work in the military hospital at Scutari, during the Crimean War
What conditions did Florence Nightingale find the hospital at Scutari in upon her arrival?
- many men were sharing beds or lying on the floor and in the corridors
- clothing was infested with lice and fleas
- diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera were common, and many patients had diarrhoea
- food supplies were limited and of poor quality
- the roof of the hospital leaked
- wards were dirty and infested with rats and mice
- unbeknownst to the nurses at the time, the hospital was actually built on top of a cesspool which was polluting the site’s water supplies
What changes did Florence Nightingale and her nurses make to the hospital 1853-1855?
- scrubbed surfaces clean
- washed all the sheets/towels/bandages/equipmeng
- opened windows to improve airflow (Miasma Theory)
- cleaned the kitchens and improved food quality
- bought new supplies (towels, clean clothes, soap, plates, cutlery)
What theory of disease did Florence Nightingale subscribe to?
Miasma Theory
What contribution did The Times newspaper make to Florence Nightingale’s efforts?
The situation in the hospital was reported on by the newspaper. This spread awareness, and, as a result, allowed for fundraising for the hospital to be carried out.
What were the duties of Florence Nightingale’s nurses at Scutari?
- washing soldiers’ wounds
- preparing for morning visits of the medical officer
- accompanying the medical officer
- dressing wounds
- relaying orders from the medical officer about diet, drink, and medical comforts to Florence Nightingale
- attending to cleanliness, both of the wards and the people
Who was Angela Burdett-Courts, and what contribution did she make to Florence Nightingale’s efforts?
Angela Burdett-Courts was a wealthy woman who had already used some of her fortune to provide housing, a school, childrens’ playgrounds, and medical care for poor people in London. She provided a £150 drying closet machine, which could dry 1,000 pieces of wet linen (eg. sheets) in less than half an hour, which increased the effectiveness of the cleaning at Scutari
What was the attitude of army medical staff towards Florence Nightingale and her team? Why?
They resisted the idea of nurses coming out to work in the Crimea.
- they thought women would not be able to cope with the conditions there
- they felt that the medical knowledge of women was limited
- as a result of the above, they saw Florence Nightingale’s desire to make changes as criticism and resented her
What was the attitude of patients to Florence Nightingale and her team?
They became very popular with the soldiers (as well as back in Britain). Famously, Florence Nightingale had a reputation for making a final round of the wards at night to check on all her patients, which earned her the nickname “The Lady with the Lamp”
What effect did Florence Nightgale’s reforms make in the years 1853-1855?
Despite all her improvements, the death rate at Scutari was still higher than all the other hospitals.
What unlikely source aided Florence Nightingale’s efforts?
The Times newspaper, which reported on her work and helped fundraise (much of which was used to purchase supplies for the hospital). It also spread awareness
What was the opinion of army medical staff towards Florence Nightingale and her team?
They resisted the idea of nurses coming out to work in the Crimea:
- they felt that women would not be able to cope with the conditions there
- they thought that the women’s medical knowledge was limited
They resented Florence Nightingale because they saw her suggestions for change as criticism
What was the view of patients towards Florence Nightingale and her team?
They were very popular amongst the soldiers. Florence gained the nickname “The Lady with the Lamp” due to her routine of making a final round at night with a lamp to check on the patients.
How did the death rate at Scutari compare to other hospitals before 1855?
Despite all of Florence Nightingale’s reforms, the death rate was still significantly higher
What happened at Scutari in 1855? What effect did this have?
A government sanitary commission repaired the drains and improved the supply of water. It was discovered that a cesspool underneath the hospital had been polluting the water supply. After this was fixed, the death rate began to fall dramatically.
What happened at Scutari in 1853? What effect did this have?
Florence Nightingale and a team of nurses arrived at Scutari, and began to make dramatic reforms to the conditions there. Their reforms did not have a significant impact on the overall death toll (due to factors outside of their control at the time), but they still contributed significantly to the efficiency and cleanliness of the hospital as well as the quality of life/care for the patients.
What were the three key risks of surgery in the early 1840s?
Lack of pain relief/anaesthetics, blood loss, and risk of infection/shock
What was the medical training course for doctors like in the mid-1840s?
The course was four years long. It included lectures on illness and treatment, practical experience in a hospital, and practical experience of midwifery and surgery.
What are some examples of surgical procedures that might’ve been performed in the mid-1840s?
Surgical operations were usually either very basic (eg. cutting open a boil) or life-threatening (eg. removing a tumour or the amputation of a limb — amputation would often become necessary if a broken bone poked through the skin and became infected).
What was pain relief for surgeries like before the 1840s?
Very limited — the only types of pain relief available were alcohol, a form of opium, or being physically knocked out. In most operations, patients were fully conscious and had to be restrained by multiple assistants.
