Árdís - 01.01.1955, Side 27

Ársrit Bandalags lúterskra kvenna
25
horror and suffering were reaching England. This fired Florence
Nightingale with a desire, greater than she had ever known, to do
something to relieve this ghastly situation. Coincidentally, the
letter offering her services crossed that of Sidney Herbert, now
Secretary to War, asking her to assume the post of Lady-in-Chief
to a group of nurses. She needed nothing more! This was what she
had waited for all her life.
She embarked, with her nurses, white-capped and aproned,
and quantities of medical supplies for Crimea. On her arrival she
found conditions terrible beyond imagination. And her coming was
not welcomed. Far from it! A howl of protest had been set up in
England among those who considered nursing at the front unsuit-
able for women. The military brass at the front took up this protest
and turned it into the bitterest opposition, the doctors, overworked
though they were, were suspicious and hostile. But the wounded
loved her. She came to Scutari, where wounded and dying lay on
dirty mattresses or on the floor, in rooms and in the corridors,
covered with filth and vermin in the rat-infested hospital. Fortu-
nate it was that she had brought supplies, for those sent from
England still lay in the ship holds awaiting official orders. Im-
mediately upon her arrival she took command. She issued orders
and saw to it that they were obeyed. The hospital and patients
were cleaned up and wounds bound up. Drugs were administered,
kitchens set up and good food was offered, dead and rotting
animals, garbage and filth were removed, bed linen and clothes
were supplied. In short, a miracle of hygiene and sanitation and
comfort took place. Not only did she bring material comfort, but
she brought spiritual comfort to the dying, wrote letters and
carried out their dying wishes.
To accomplish this required tremendous strength of purpose.
She drove herself relentlessly and those who worked under her as
well. Now her iron will became known. Slovenliness or insubordi-
nation were not tolerated, she expected much of her co-workers and
got it. Even though some of them hated her, they respected her.
She battled with officials but won most of them to her side.
This almost superhuman task took its toll and in the spring
of 1855 Miss Nightingale was stricken with Crimean Fever which
nearly cost her her life. When she recovered the doctors urged her