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FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE CENTENARY 219
toward Turkey. The Foreign policy of Britain at the time did not relish
Russia seizing the Dardanelles. So Great Britain entered the war
on Turkey's behalf and 25,000 soldiers we,re dispatched to Constantinople.
The Battle of the Alma was fought and won and all London
rejoiced. Then, from that out of the way part of the world, the truth
began to trickle back. England was stunned to read in the papers one
morning a revelation of appalling conditions in the Crimea. Russell,
a famous war correspondent of his day, declared that the British War
Office had been wofully lacking in hospital and sanitary planning, that
there were thousands of wounded and sick lying in abominable conditions
in the old Turkish barracks at Scutari without decent nursing.
He ended his story with an appeal. "Are there no devoted women
among us able and willing to go forth and minister to the sick and suffering
soldiers of the East in the hospital at Scutari? Are none of the
daughters of England at this extreme hour of need ready for such
mercy work?"
Florence Nightingale read that appeal. She at once wrote the
Minister for War offering her services. He, roused by the storm of indignation
that was sweeping England, had written her. Their letters
crossed in the mail. He wrote to her: "There is, so far as I know,
only one person in England capable of organizing and directing such
a plan, and I have been several times on the point of asking youif
you would be disposed to make the attempt." Six days later Florence
Nightingale, accompanied by 34 women volunteers, sailed for the
Crimea. When it was proposed to give them a parade and an official
farewell, she said: "I am naturally a very shy person," and with her
little band she left quietly on her splendid adventure.
Florence Nightingale arrived in Turkey the very day the bloody
battle of Inkerman was fought. She found, at Scutari, that great barrack
hospital, the revelation of the conditions which had caused such
an uproar in England. . .
But that was not all of her problem. There was the stupid, ingrown
prejudice and arrogance of old-fashioned army officers...
Just after the Crimean War was over there was a dinner given in
London to the officers who had served in that campaign. It was suggested
that each guest write upon a slip of paper the name of the person
whose services would be longest remembered. When the papers
were examined each bore the name of "Florence Nightingale." What
had changed the attitude of the military?
From the day that Florence Nightingale entered the great hospital
at Scutari it was fired with a new intelligence. She brought pity,
energy and womanly invention. She declared war on dirt. She brought
into the hospital fresh air, clean linen, sweet food and soft hands.
Previously the men had eaten the rough provender dished up by army
cooks. Florence Nightingale organized a great kitchen to provide special
food for the wounded. She caused to be built a great laundry and
dirt disappeared.. .