eminent victorians-第23章

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shoe…brushes　nor　blacking；　there　were　no　knives　or　forks　or

spoons。　The　supply　of　fuel　was　constantly　deficient。　The　cooking

arrangements　were　preposterously　inadequate；　and　the　laundry　was

a　farce。　As　for　purely　medical　materials；　the　tale　was　no　better。

Stretchers；　splints；　bandagesall　were　lacking；　and　so　were　the

most　ordinary　drugs。



To　replace　such　wants；　to　struggle　against　such　difficulties；

there　was　a　handful　of　men　overburdened　by　the　strain　of

ceaseless　work；　bound　down　by　the　traditions　of　official　routine；

and　enfeebled　either　by　old　age　or　inexperience　or　sheer

incompetence。　They　had　proved　utterly　unequal　to　their　task。　The

principal　doctor　was　lost　in　the　imbecilities　of　a　senile

optimism。　The　wretched　official　whose　business　it　was　to　provide

for　the　wants　of　the　hospital　was　tied　fast　hand　and　foot　by　red

tape。　A　few　of　the　younger　doctors　struggled　valiantly；　but　what

could　they　do？　Unprepared；　disorganised；　with　such　help　only　as

they　could　find　among　the　miserable　band　of　convalescent　soldiers

drafted　off　to　tend　their　sick　comrades；　they　were　faced　with

disease；　mutilation；　and　death　in　all　their　most　appalling　forms；

crowded　multitudinously　about　them　in　an　ever…increasing　mass。

They　were　like　men　in　a　shipwreck；　fighting；　not　for　safety；　but

for　the　next　moment's　bare　existence　to　gain；　by　yet　another

frenzied　effort；　some　brief　respite　from　the　waters　of

destruction。



In　these　surroundings；　those　who　had　been　long　inured　to　scenes

of　human　suffering　surgeons　with　a　world…wide　knowledge　of

agonies；　soldiers　familiar　with　fields　of　carnage；　missionaries

with　remembrances　of　famine　and　of　plague　yet　found　a　depth　of

horror　which　they　had　never　known　before。　There　were　moments；

there　were　places；　in　the　Barrack　Hospital　at　Scutari；　where　the

strongest　hand　was　struck　with　trembling；　and　the　boldest　eye

would　turn　away　its　gaze。



Miss　Nightingale　came；　and　she；　at　any　rate；　in　that　inferno；　did

not　abandon　hope。　For　one　thing；　she　brought　material　succour。

Before　she　left　London　she　had　consulted　Dr。　Andrew　Smith；　the

head　of　the　Army　Medical　Board；　as　to　whether　it　would　be　useful

to　take　out　stores　of　any　kind　to　Scutari；　and　Dr。　Andrew　Smith

had　told　her　that　'nothing　was　needed'。　Even　Sidney　Herbert　had

given　her　similar　assurances；　possibly；　owing　to　an　oversight；

there　might　have　been　some　delay　in　the　delivery　of　the　medical

stores；　which；　he　said；　had　been　sent　out　from　England　'in

profusion'；　but　'four　days　would　have　remedied　this'。　She

preferred　to　trust　her　own　instincts；　and　at　Marseilles　purchased

a　large　quantity　of　miscellaneous　provisions；　which　were　of　the

utmost　use　at　Scutari。　She　came；　too；　amply　provided　with　money

in　all；　during　her　stay　in　the　East；　about　￡7；000　reached　her

from　private　sources；　and；　in　addition；　she　was　able　to　avail

herself　of　another　valuable　means　of　help。



At　the　same　time　as　herself；　Mr。　Macdonald；　of　The　Times；　had

arrived　at　Scutari；　charged　with　the　duty　of　administering　the

large　sums　of　money　collected　through　the　agency　of　that

newspaper　in　aid　of　the　sick　and　wounded；　and　Mr。　Macdonald　had

the　sense　to　see　that　the　best　use　he　could　make　of　The　Times

Fund　was　to　put　it　at　the　disposal　of　Miss　Nightingale。　'I　cannot

conceive；'　wrote　an　eye…witness；　'as　I　now　calmly　look　back　on

the　first　three　weeks　after　the　arrival　of　the　wounded　from

Inkerman；　how　it　could　have　been　possible　to　have　avoided　a　state

of　things　too　disastrous　to　contemplate；　had　not　Miss　Nightingale

been　there；　with　the　means　placed　at　her　disposal　by　Mr。

Macdonald。'　But　the　official　view　was　different。　What！　Was　the

public　service　to　admit；　by　accepting　outside　charity；　that　it

was　unable　to　discharge　its　own　duties　without　the　assistance　of

private　and　irregular　benevolence？　Never！　And　accordingly　when

Lord　Stratford　de　Redcliffe；　our　ambassador　at　Constantinople；

was　asked　by　Mr。　Macdonald　to　indicate　how　The　Times　Fund　could

best　be　employed；　he　answered　that　there　was　indeed　one　object　to

which　it　might　very　well　be　devoted　the　building　of　an　English

Protestant　Church　at　Pera。



Mr。　Macdonald　did　not　waste　further　time　with　Lord　Stratford；　and

immediately　joined　forces　with　Miss　Nightingale。　But；　with　such　a

frame　of　mind　in　the　highest　quarters；　it　is　easy　to　imagine　the

kind　of　disgust　and　alarm　with　which　the　sudden　intrusion　of　a

band　of　amateurs　and　females　must　have　filled　the　minds　of　the

ordinary　officer　and　the　ordinary　military　surgeon。　They　could

not　understand　it　what　had　women　to　do　with　war？　Honest

Colonels　relieved　their　spleen　by　the　cracking　of　heavy　jokes

about　'the　Bird'；　while　poor　Dr。　Hall；　a　rough　terrier　of　a　man；

who　had　worried　his　way　to　the　top　of　his　profession；　was　struck

speechless　with　astonishment；　and　at　last　observed　that　Miss

Nightingale's　appointment　was　extremely　droll。



Her　position　was；　indeed；　an　official　one；　but　it　was　hardly　the

easier　for　that。　In　the　hospitals　it　was　her　duty　to　provide　the

services　of　herself　and　her　nurses　when　they　were　asked　for　by

the　doctors；　and　not　until　then。　At　first　some　of　the　surgeons

would　have　nothing　to　say　to　her；　and；　though　she　was　welcomed　by

others；　the　majority　were　hostile　and　suspicious。　But　gradually

she　gained　ground。　Her　good　will　could　not　be　denied；　and　her

capacity　could　not　be　disregarded。　With　consummate　tact；　with　all

the　gentleness　of　supreme　strength；　she　managed　at　last　to　impose

her　personality　upon　the　susceptible；　overwrought；　discouraged；

and　helpless　group　of　men　in　authority　who　surrounded　her。　She

stood　firm；　she　was　a　rock　in　the　angry　ocean；　with　her　alone　was

safety；　comfort；　life。　And　so　it　was　that　hope　dawned　at　Scutari。

The　reign　of　chaos　and　old　night　began　to　dwindle；　order　came

upon　the　scene；　and　common　sense；　and　forethought；　and　decision；

radiating　out　from　the　little　room　off　the　great　gallery　in　the

Barrack　Hospital　where；　day　and　night；　the　Lady　Superintendent

was　at　her　task。　Progress　might　be　slow；　but　it　was　sure。



The　first　sign　of　a　great　change　came　with　the　appearance　of　some

of　those　necessary　objects　with　which　the　hospitals　had　been

unprovided　for　months。　The　sick　men　began　to　enjoy　the　use　of

towels　and　soap；　knives　and　forks；　combs　and　tooth…brushes。　Dr。

Hall　might　snort　when　he　heard　of　it；　asking；　with　a　growl；　what

a　soldier　wanted　with　a　tooth…brush；　but　the　good　work　went　on。

Eventually　the　whole　business　of　purveying　to　the　hospitals　was；

in　effect；　carried　out　by　Miss　Nightingale。　She　alone；　it　seemed。

whatever　the　contingency；　knew　where　to　lay　her　hands　on　what　was

wanted；　she　alone　could　dispense　her　stores　with　readiness；　above



all；　she　alone　possessed　the　art　of　circumventing　the　pernicious

influences　of　official　etiquette。　This　was　her　greatest　enemy；

and　sometimes　even　she　was　baffled　by　it。　On　one　occasion　27；000

shirts；　sent　out　at　her　instance　by　the　Home　Government；　arrived；

were　landed；　and　were　only　waiting　to　be　unpacked。　But　the

official　'Purveyor'　intervened；　'he　could　not　unpack　them；'　he

said；　'with　out　a　Board。'　Miss　Nightingale　pleaded　in　vain；　the

sick　and　wounded　lay　half…naked　shivering　for　want　of　clothing；

and　three　weeks　elapsed　before　the　Board　released　the　shirts。　A

little　later；　however；　on　a　similar　occasion；　Miss　Nightingale

felt　that　she　could　assert　her　own　authority。　She　ordered　a

Government　consignment　to　be　forcibly　opened　while　the　miserable

'Purveyor'　stood　by；　wringing　his　hands　in　departmental　agony。



Vast　quantities　of　valuable　stores　sent　from　England　lay；　she

found；　engulfed　in　the　bottomless　abyss　of　the　Turkish　Customs

House。　Other　ship…loads；　buried　beneath　munitions　of　war　destined

for　Balaclava；　passed　Scutari　without　a　sign；　and　thus　hospital

materials　were　sometimes　carried　to　and　fro　three　times　over　the

Black　Sea；　before　they　reached　their　destination。　The　whole

system　was　clearly　at　fault；　and　Miss　Nightingale　suggested　to

the　home　authorities　that　a　Government　Store　House　should　be

instituted　at　Scutari　for　the　reception　and　distribution　of　the

consignments。　Six　months　after　her　arrival　this　was　done。



In　the　meantime；　she　had　reorganised　the　kitchens　and　the

laundries　in　the　hospitals。　The　ill…cooked　hunks　of　meat；　vilely

served　at　irregular　intervals；　which　had　hitherto　been　the　only

diet　for　the　sick　men；　were　replaced　by　punctual　meals；　well…

prepared　and　appetising；　while　strengthening　extra　foods　soups

and　wines　and　jellies　（'preposterous　luxuries'；　snarled　Dr。　Hall）

were　distributed　to　those　who　needed　them。　One　thing；　however；

she　could　not　effect。　The　separation　of　the　bones　from　the　meat

was　no　part　of　official　cookery：　the　rule　was　that　the　food　must

be　divided　into　equal　portions；　and　if　some　of　the　portions　were

all　bone　well；　every　man　must　take　his　chance。　The　rule；

perhaps；　was　not　a　very　good　one；　but　there　it　was。　'It　would

require　a　new　Regulation　of　the　Service；'　she　was　told；　'to　bone

the　meat。'　As　for　the　washing　arrangements；　they　were

revolutionised。　Up　to　the　time　of　Miss　Nightingale's　arrival；　the

number　of　shirts　the　authorities　had　succeeded　in　washing　was

seven。　The　hospital　bedding；　she　found；　was　'washed'　in　cold

water。　She　took　a　Turkish　house；　had　boilers　installed；　and

employed　soldiers'　wives　to　do　the　laundry　work。　The　expenses

were　defrayed　from　her　own　funds　and　that　of　The　Times；　and

henceforward；　the　sick　and　wounded　had　the　comfort　of　clean

linen。



Then　she　turned　her　attention　to　their　clothing。　Owing　to

military　exigencies；　the　greater　number　of　the　men　had　abandoned

their　kit；　their　knapsacks　were　lost　forever；　they　possessed

nothing　but　what　was　on　their　persons；　and　that　was　usually　only

fit　for　speedy　destruction。　The　'Purveyor'；　of　course；　pointed

out　that；　according　to　the　regulations；　all　soldiers　should　bring

with　them　into　hospital　an　adequate　supply　of　clothing；　and　he

declared　that　it　was　no　business　of　his　to　make　good　their

deficiencies。　Apparently；　it　was　the　business　of　Miss

Nightingale。　She　procured　socks；　boots；　and　shirts　in　enormous

quantities；　she　had　trousers　made；　she　rigged　up　dressing…gowns。

'The　fact　is；'　she　told　Sidney　Herbert；　I　am　now　clothing　the

British　Army。'



All　at　once；　word　came　from　the　Crimea　that　a　great　new

contingent　of　sick　and　wounded　might　shortly　be　expected。　Where

were　they　to　go？　Every　available　inch　in　the　wards　was　occupied；

the　affair　was　serious　and　pressing；　and　the　authorities　stood

aghast。　There　were　some　dilapidated　rooms　in　the　Barrack

Hospital；　unfit　for　human　habitation；　but　Miss　Nightingale

believed　that　if　measures　were　promptly　taken　they　might　be　made

capable　of　accommodating　several　hundred　beds。　One　of　the　doctors

agreed　with　her；　the　rest　of　the　officials　were　irresolute　it

would　be　a　very　expensive　job；　they　said；　it　would　involve

building；　and　who