Florence Nightingale

Florence Nighingale is another person, next to Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis I wrote about last week, who contributed to development of medicine. She was born in 1820 in an aristocratic family. At the age of 24 she decided to become a nurse. For her family this choice was at the beginning unacceptable; this profession was considered to be dedicated to the lower social stratum. But Florence persisted and came out on top. 

She was very hard-working and careful. When she was sent to Turkey to run a field hospital, she realised that many soldiers were dying not because of injuries from the battlefield but over to infectious diseases caught in the hospital. She tried to improve sanitary conditions in the hospital to reduce the mortality. What is more, she noticed that a lot of warriors were suffering from mental problems (that we'll call today post-traumatic stress disorder). She provided them emotional support and was very comforting.

Florence Nightingale created the basics of modern nursing. Furthermore, she established the first school of nursing. Florence was the first woman who was awarded the Order of Merit.

I use the word nursing for want of a better. It has been limited to signify little more than the administration of medicines and the application of poultices. It ought to signify the proper use of fresh air, light, warmth, cleanliness, quiet, and the proper selection and administration of diet — all at the least expense of vital power to the patient.