eminent victorians-第30章

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mother　was　still　not　quite　resigned：　surely　Florence　might　at

least　spend　the　summer　in　the　country。　At　times；　indeed；　among

her　intimates；　Mrs。　Nightingale　almost　wept。　'We　are　ducks；'　she

said　with　tears　in　her　eyes；　'who　have　hatched　a　wild　swan。'　But

the　poor　lady　was　wrong；　it　was　not　a　swan　that　they　had　hatched；

it　was　an　eagle。



II



Miss　NIGHTINGALE　had　been　a　year　in　her　nursing…home　in　Harley

Street；　when　Fate　knocked　at　the　door。　The　Crimean　War　broke　out；

the　battle　of　the　Alma　was　fought；　and　the　terrible　condition　of

our　military　hospitals　at　Scutari　began　to　be　known　in　England。

It　sometimes　happens　that　the　plans　of　Providence　are　a　little

difficult　to　follow；　but　on　this　occasion　all　was　plain；　there

was　a　perfect　coordination　of　events。　For　years　Miss　Nightingale

had　been　getting　ready；　at　last　she　was　prepared　experienced；

free；　mature；　yet　still　young　（she　was　thirty…four）　desirous　to

serve；　accustomed　to　command：　at　that　precise　moment　the

desperate　need　of　a　great　nation　came；　and　she　was　there　to

satisfy　it。　If　the　war　had　fallen　a　few　years　earlier；　she　would

have　lacked　the　knowledge；　perhaps　even　the　power；　for　such　a

work；　a　few　years　later　and　she　would；　no　doubt；　have　been　fixed

in　the　routine　of　some　absorbing　task；　and　moreover；　she　would

have　been　growing　old。



Nor　was　it　only　the　coincidence　of　time　that　was　remarkable。　It

so　fell　out　that　Sidney　Herbert　was　at　the　War　Office　and　in　the

Cabinet；　and　Sidney　Herbert　was　an　intimate　friend　of　Miss

Nightingale's；　convinced；　from　personal　experience　in　charitable

work；　of　her　supreme　capacity。　After　such　premises；　it　seems

hardly　more　than　a　matter　of　course　that　her　letter；　in　which　she

offered　her　services　for　the　East；　and　Sidney　Herbert's　letter；

in　which　he　asked　for　them；　should　actually　have　crossed　in　the

post。　Thus　it　all　happened；　without　a　hitch。　The　appointment　was

made　and　even　Mrs。　Nightingale；　overawed　by　the　magnitude　of　the

venture；　could　only　approve。　A　pair　of　faithful　friends　offered

themselves　as　personal　attendants；　thirty…eight　nurses　were　

collected；　and　within　a　week　of　the　crossing　of　the　letters　Miss

Nightingale；　amid　a　great　burst　of　popular　enthusiasm；　left　for

Constantinople。



Among　the　numerous　letters　which　she　received　on　her　departure

was　one　from　Dr。　Manning；　who　at　that　time　was　working　in

comparative　obscurity　as　a　Catholic　priest　in　Bayswater。　'God

will　keep　you；'　he　wrote；　'and　my　prayer　for　you　will　be　that

your　one　object　of　worship；　Pattern　of　Imitation；　and　source　of

consolation　and　strength；　may　be　the　Sacred　Heart　of　our　Divine

Lord。'



To　what　extent　Dr。　Manning's　prayer　was　answered　must　remain　a

matter　of　doubt；　but　this　much　is　certain：　that　if　ever　a　prayer

was　needed；　it　was　needed　then　for　Florence　Nightingale。　For　dark

as　had　been　the　picture　of　the　state　of　affairs　at　Scutari；

revealed　to　the　English　public　in　the　dispatches　of　〃The　Times

Correspondent〃；　and　in　a　multitude　of　private　letters；　yet　the

reality　turned　out　to　be　darker　still。　What　had　occurred　was；　in

brief；　the　complete　breakdown　of　our　medical　arrangements　at　the

seat　of　war。　The　origins　of　this　awful　failure　were　complex　and

manifold；　they　stretched　back　through　long　years　of　peace　and

carelessness　in　England；　they　could　be　traced　through　endless

ramifications　of　administrative　incapacity　from　the　inherent

faults　of　confused　systems；　to　the　petty　bunglings　of　minor

officials；　from　the　inevitable　ignorance　of　Cabinet　Ministers；　to

the　fatal　exactitudes　of　narrow　routine。



In　the　inquiries　which　followed；　it　was　clearly　shown　that　the

evil　was　in　reality　that　worst　of　all　evils　one　which　has　been

caused　by　nothing　in　particular　and　for　which　no　one　in

particular　is　to　blame。　The　whole　organisation　of　the　war　machine

was　incompetent　and　out　of　date。　The　old　Duke　had　sat　for　a

generation　at　the　Horse　Guards　repressing　innovations　with　an

iron　hand。　There　was　an　extraordinary　overlapping　of　authorities

and　an　almost　incredible　shifting　of　responsibilities　to　and　fro。

As　for　such　a　notion　as　the　creation　and　the　maintenance　of　a

really　adequate　medical　service　for　the　army　in　that　atmosphere

of　aged　chaos；　how　could　it　have　entered　anybody's　head？　Before

the　war；　the　easygoing　officials　at　Westminster　were　naturally

persuaded　that　all　was　well　or　at　least　as　well　as　could　be

expected；　when　someone；　for　instance；　actually　had　the　temerity

to　suggest　the　formation　of　a　corps　of　Army　nurses；　he　was　at

once　laughed　out　of　court。　When　the　war　had　begun；　the　gallant

British　officers　in　control　of　affairs　had　other　things　to　think

about　than　the　petty　details　of　medical　organisation。　Who　had

bothered　with　such　trifles　in　the　Peninsula？　And　surely；　on　that

occasion；　we　had　done　pretty　well。　Thus；　the　most　obvious

precautions　were　neglected；　and　the　most　necessary　preparations

were　put　off　from　day　to　day。　The　principal　medical　officer　of

the　Army；　Dr。　Hall；　was　summoned　from　India　at　a　moment's　notice；

and　was　unable　to　visit　England　before　taking　up　his　duties　at

the　front。　And　it　was　not　until　after　the　battle　of　the　Alma；

when　we　had　been　at　war　for　many　months；　that　we　acquired

hospital　accommodations　at　Scutari　for　more　than　a　thousand　men。

Errors；　follies；　and　vices　on　the　part　of　individuals　there

doubtless　were；　but；　in　the　general　reckoning；　they　were　of　small

account　insignificant　symptoms　of　the　deep　disease　of　the　body

politic　to　the　enormous　calamity　of　administrative　collapse。



Miss　Nightingale　arrived　at　Scutari　a　suburb　of　Constantinople；

on　the　Asiatic　side　of　the　Bosphorus　on　November　4th；　1854；　it

was　ten　days　after　the　battle　of　Balaclava；　and　the　day　before

the　battle　of　Inkerman。　The　organisation　of　the　hospitals；　which

had　already　given　way　under　the　stress　of　the　battle　of　the　Alma；

was　now　to　be　subjected　to　the　further　pressure　which　these　two

desperate　and　bloody　engagements　implied。　Great　detachments　of

wounded　were　already　beginning　to　pour　in。　The　men；　after

receiving　such　summary　treatment　as　could　be　given　them　at　the

smaller　hospitals　in　the　Crimea　itself；　were　forthwith　shipped　in

batches　of　200　across　the　Black　Sea　to　Scutari。　This　voyage　was

in　normal　times　one　of　four　days　and　a　half；　but　the　times　were

no　longer　normal；　and　now　the　transit　often　lasted　for　a

fortnight　or　three　weeks。　It　received；　not　without　reason；　the

name　of　the　'middle　passage'。　Between；　and　sometimes　on　the

decks；　the　wounded；　the　sick；　and　the　dying　were　crowded　men

who　had　just　undergone　the　amputation　of　limbs；　men　in　the

clutches　of　fever　or　of　frostbite；　men　in　the　last　stages　of

dysentry　and　cholera　without　beds；　sometimes　without　blankets；

often　hardly　clothed。　The　one　or　two　surgeons　on　board　did　what

they　could；　but　medical　stores　were　lacking；　and　the　only　form　of

nursing　available　was　that　provided　by　a　handful　of　invalid

soldiers　who　were　usually　themselves　prostrate　by　the　end　of　the

voyage。　There　was　no　other　food　beside　the　ordinary　salt　rations

of　ship　diet；　and　even　the　water　was　sometimes　so　stored　that　it

was　out　of　reach　of　the　weak。　For　many　months；　the　average　of

deaths　during　these　voyages　was　seventy…four　in　1；000；　the

corpses　were　shot　out　into　the　waters；　and　who　shall　say　that

they　were　the　most　unfortunate？　At　Scutari；　the　landing…stage；

constructed　with　all　the　perverseness　of　Oriental　ingenuity；

could　only　be　approached　with　great　difficulty；　and；　in　rough

weather；　not　at　all。　When　it　was　reached；　what　remained　of　the

men　in　the　ships　had　first　to　be　disembarked；　and　then　conveyed

up　a　steep　slope　of　a　quarter　of　a　mile　to　the　nearest　of　the

hospitals。　The　most　serious　cases　might　be　put　upon　stretchers

for　there　were　far　too　few　for　all；　the　rest　were　carried　or

dragged　up　the　hill　by　such　convalescent　soldiers　as　could　be　got

together；　who　were　not　too　obviously　infirm　for　the　work。　At　last

the　journey　was　acco