The Crimean War

by Charles McLeod

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Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale was a nurse in this war who is still famous today. She came to the Crimea because she heard the stories of the terrible conditions the wounded soldiers had to put up with. She was named the 'Lady with the lamp' because she used to tend to wounded and dying soldiers during the night. She was in a group of nurses; they worked in a hospital in a place called Scutari. At this hospital before she came there were rickety beds, overworked doctors and a sense of utter hopelessness. When she came with her group of only 32 nurses she tried her best to make the wards a place of rest and healing not of death and despair. She and her group of nurses did not accept Mary Seacole (see next page) into their group although Mary was a very good nurse. Florence worked in the hospital from 1854 to 1856 when the British left, sometimes looking after up to 10,000 casualties. She did all the work in a world dominated by men but she had compassion and good practical knowledge. The British public back home were gradually hearing more and more of the poor conditions their boys were living and dying in so Florence had support for the changes she wanted to make. She did get some order at Scutari and set up three hospitals in the Crimea to cope with the huge casualties. Although she even caught a fever herself, she had an iron will that made her a medical legend.

Mary Seacole

'The very first day I approached the wharf (at Balaclava) a party of sick and wounded had just arrived... Seeing a poor artilleryman ... I Ran up to him at once, and eased the stiff dressing ... and well was I rewarded when the poor man subsided into an easy mutter'

Mary Seacole was born in Kingstown, Jamaica. Her mother was a free black woman (although at this time most black people were slaves) who ran a boarding house and practical traditional Caribbean medicine. At a young age Mary loved nursing and learnt about tropical illnesses from her mother. When the war broke out, Mary wanted to nurse the wounded there. She knew that the soldiers lived in terrible conditions and that the army was short of food and proper medical equipment, and she also knew that the hospitals where rat infested and if the soldiers did not die in battle they of malaria or cholera. Despite her experience in medicine Florence Nightingale's group turned her down so did many other groups of nurses. She wondered if these ladies shrink from-accepting my aid because my blood flows under duskier skin than theirs.' Even so she did not give up, she went to the Crimea herself. With a partner she became a sutler (a person who sells food and other provisions to an army). She opened a British hotel, providing proper food for the soldiers. She had achieved her dream. She traveled everywhere on her mule, caring for battle victims whether enemy or allies, she would give them aid and medicine, often refusing to wait for the battle to stop before tending to the wounded. When the war ended she went to Britain penniless, a national fund was started to help her to get some money. A Grand Military Festival was held for her benefit