Mark Bostridge

Nursing grievances in the Crimean War

When Florence Nightingale was joined in Scutari by groups of volunteer nuns, tensions among them soon imperilled the entire female nursing experiment

‘The Mission of Mercy: Florence Nightingale Receiving the Wounded at Scutari’, by Jerry Barrett, 1857. The nun to the left of Nightingale is Georgina Moore, the Superior of the Sisters of Mercy from Bermondsey. [Alamy] 
issue 04 February 2023

  • Nightingale’s Nunsand the Crimean War

    Terry Tastard

    Bloomsbury, pp. 202, £58

Most people know something about Florence Nightingale’s nursing expedition to Scutari and the Crimea during the Crimean War, and the ‘kingdom of horror’ that she and her nurses found there: unsanitary conditions in the hospitals, a broken-down supply system and British soldiers dropping like flies from disease rather than battle wounds.

GIF Image

Disagree with half of it, enjoy reading all of it

TRY 3 MONTHS FOR $5
Our magazine articles are for subscribers only. Start your 3-month trial today for just $5 and subscribe to more than one view

Read next

Trending

Terry Barnes

Australian election: Trump helps topple second conservative leader

Tonight, Australia voted decisively for continuity. The Labor government of prime minister Anthony Albanese has not merely been re-elected. It has absolutely thumped the conservative Liberal-National party coalition, headed by Liberal leader Peter Dutton. At the close of counting tonight, Labor achieved a majority in the 150-seat parliament, winning 77 seats and leading in another

Also in Book Reviews

Also by Mark Bostridge

Latest

Comments

Join the debate for just £1 a month

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in