CONTENTS

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Introductory xxiii
PART I
ASPIRATION (1820–1854)
CHAPTER I
CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION
(1820–1839)
Name, ancestry, and parentage. II. Her father's circumstances—Her early homes—Lea Hurst (Derbyshire)—Mrs. Gaskell's description—Embley Park (Hampshire). III. Early years—Country life—Domestic interests—A morbid strain. IV. Mr.Nightingale's education of his daughters—History, the classics, philosophy—Anecdotes of Florence's supposed early vocation to nursing—The date of her “call to God”. (1837). V. The Grand Tour (1837–9)—Interest in social and political conditions—Italian refugees at Geneva—Talks with Sismondi—Visit to Florence—Gaieties and music. VI. A winter in Paris (1838–9)—Friendship with Mary Clarke (Madame Mohl)—Madame RÉcamier's salon. Social “temptations” 3
CHAPTER II
HOME LIFE
(1839–1845)
A struggle for freedom. Life in London—Music—The Bedchamber Plot. II. Country-house life—The charm of Embley—Contrast between Florence and her sister. III. The family circle—Florence's “boy”—Florence as “Emergency Man”—Her old nurse—Letter to Miss Clarke on the death of M. Fauriel—Theatricals at Waverley Abbey—Florence as stage-manager. IV. Friends and neighbours—Lord Palmerston—Louisa Lady Ashburton—Mrs.Bracebridge. V. Florence's conversation—Social attractiveness—Personal appearance: descriptions by Lady Lovelace and Mrs.Gaskell. VI. Dissatisfaction in social life—Desultoriness of a girl's life at home—The misery of being read aloud to—Housekeeping. VII. Increasing sense of a vocation—Private studies—Thoughts of nursing—A first dash for liberty (1845): failure 23
CHAPTER III
THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
Dejection. Friendship with Miss Nicholson: religious experiences and speculations—Letters to Miss Nicholson and Miss Clarke. II. The reality of the unseen world—The conviction of sin—The pains of hell—Hunger after righteousness—“All for the Love of God.” III. Independent development of Miss Nightingale's religious thought—The service of God as the service of man—Her testing of religious doctrine by practical results—Her attitude to Roman Catholicism—Desire for a church of works, not doctrines 46
CHAPTER IV
DISAPPOINTMENT
(1846–1847)
“Disappointment's dry and bitter root.” Pursuit of her ideal—Obstacles to her adoption of nursing—Social prejudices—Low esteem of nurses at the time—The Kaiserswerth “Institution for Deaconesses.” II. Increasing distaste for the routine of home life. III. Social distractions (1847)—Jenny Lind—The British Association at Oxford—Marriage of Miss Clarke—Country visits 59
CHAPTER V
A WINTER IN ROME; AND AFTER
(1847–1849)
A tour that confirmed a vocation. Sight-seeing in Rome—Admiration for Michael Angelo—The revelation of the Sistine Chapel—The obsession of Rome. II. Italian politics—Pio Nono as Patriot Hero. III. The convent of the TrinitÀ de' Monti—Study of Roman doctrine and ritual—Friendship with the Madre Sta. Colomba—A retreat in the convent—The secret of devotion. IV. Meeting with Mr.and Mrs.Sidney Herbert and with Manning—The London season—Friendship with Lord Shaftesbury—Self-reproaches. V. A projected visit to Kaiserswerth (1848): disappointment again—Acquaintance with Guizot—Ragged school work in London 69
CHAPTER VI
FOREIGN TRAVEL: EGYPT AND GREECE
(1849–1850)
Another fruitless distraction. A winter in Egypt—Thebes—Condition of the people—Impressions of Egyptian scenery. II. Athens—Doric architecture—Greek scenery. III. Political affairs—The “Don Pacifico” crisis—The Ionian Islands: a day with the High Commissioner. IV. American missionaries at Athens—Dresden—Visit to Kaiserswerth. V. The literary “temptation”—Her view of literary art—Her Letters from Egypt 84
CHAPTER VII
THE SINGLE LIFE
The three paths. Why Florence Nightingale did not marry—Her criticism of Dorothea in Middlemarch. II. Offers of marriage—Her ideal of marriage—The threefold nature. III. Self-devotion to her vocation—Determination to throw open new spheres for women 96
CHAPTER VIII
APPRENTICESHIP AT KAISERSWERTH
(1851)
The struggle for independence resumed. Want of sympathy between her and her parents and sister—Unhappiness at home—A “starved” life. II. Growing spirit of revolt—The need of apprenticeship. III. Second visit to Kaiserswerth—Origin of the Institution—Account of its work—Her life there. IV. Craving for sympathy from her relations—Their hope that the apprenticeship would be only an episode 104
CHAPTER IX
AN INTERLUDE
(1852)
The turning-point. Patience and serenity: waiting for an opportunity. II. With her father at Umberslade—The water cure—Death of her Aunt Evans—Meeting with George Eliot and Mrs. Browning—Visits to Dublin and to Birk Hall (Sir Ja colspan="2" align="center">PART IV
HOSPITALS AND NURSING (1858–1861)
CHAPTER I
THE HOSPITAL REFORMER
(1858–1861)
Miss Nightingale's work with Sidney Herbert carried on at the same time with other work. Her place as a Sanitarian—Her prestige as an authority on hospitals—Her Notes on Hospitals—General condition of hospitals at the time—Influence of her book—Miss Nightingale widely consulted on the construction of hospitals, at home and abroad. II. The Manchester Royal Infirmary, and Mr.Joseph Adshead—St. Thomas's Hospital, London: the battle of the sites—Miss Nightingale and the Prince Consort 415
CHAPTER II
THE PASSIONATE STATISTICIAN
(1859–1861)
Statistics as a passion. Miss Nightingale's study of the works of Quetelet—Careless statistical records in the Crimean War—Her model Hospital Statistical Forms—Advantage to be derived from such data—International Statistical Congress in London (1860)—Miss Nightingale's alliance with Dr. Farr—Adoption of her Forms—Her reception of the delegates—Circulation of her paper—Partial adoption of her scheme by London and other hospitals. II. Her advocacy of the better utilization of Government statistics—Her efforts to extend the scope of the Census of 1861—Correspondence with Mr.Lowe and Sir George Lewis—An appeal to the Lords 428
CHAPTER III
THE FOUNDER OF MODERN NURSING
(1860)
Three great contributions of the 19th century to the relief of human suffering in disease. Miss Nightingale's place in the history of nursing—The founder not of nursing, but of modern nursing—Her peculiar fitness for directing tendencies of the time towards improved nursing. II. Condition of nursing at the time—Miss Nightingale's influence in raising it from a menial occupation to a trained profession. III. Force of her example—Enthusiasm excited by her among women. IV. Force of her preceptNotes on Nursing (1859–60)—The text-book of the New Model in Nursing—Popularity of the book—Reminiscences of the Crimea in it—“Minding Baby.” V. Some characteristics of the book—General grasp of principles, combined with minuteness of detail—Delicacy of observation, and fineness of sympathy—Epigrammatic expression. VI. Importance of training in the art of nursing—The Notes as a prelude to practice 439
CHAPTER IV
THE NIGHTINGALE NURSES
(1860–1861)
Importance of the Nightingale Training School—Early history of the “Nightingale Fund”—Accumulation of the money during Miss Nightingale's absorption in other work—Appointment of a working committee (1859)—Decision to found a Training School in connexion with St. Thomas's Hospital—Character of Mrs.Wardroper, matron of the hospital. II. Essential principles of Miss Nightingale's scheme: (1) technical, a Training School; lectures, examinations, reports, etc.; (2) moral, a home. III. Miss Nightingale's supervision—Favourable start of the school. IV. Further application of the Nightingale Fund to the training of midwives. V. Wide influence of the Nightingale School—Novelty of the experiment—Medical opposition at the start—From paradox to commonplace 456
CHAPTER V
THE RELIGIOUS SANCTION: “SUGGESTIONS FOR THOUGHT”
(1860)
The religious sanction behind Miss Nightingale's life of work—Resumption of her theological speculations—Printing of her Suggestions for Thought—General character of the book. II. Miss Nightingale and John Stuart Mill—Her introduction to Benjamin Jowett—The book submitted to them—Mill's advice that it should be published, Jowett's that it should not—Literary imperfections—Her impatience of literary revision. III. Scope of the book—Vehemence of style—Explanation of Mill's and Jowett's contrary advice. IV. Origin of the book—Sketch of her theological system—Thoughts on Prayer—God as Law—Influence of Quetelet—Doctrine of human perfectibility as explaining the existence of evil—Freewill and Necessity—Belief in a future life—The philosophy of history—Motive for human conduct. V. Miss Nightingale's attitude to current creeds, Protestant and Catholic. VI. Spiritual intensity with which she held her creed 468
CHAPTER VI
MISS NIGHTINGALE AT HOME
(18581861)
Continued ill-health—Serious illness and expectation of early death—Yet constant work—Doctor's opinions—Necessity for husbanding her strength. II. Consequent manner of life—A laborious hermit—Help from her friends—A. H. Clough—Her uncle, Mr.S. Smith, and her private correspondence. III. Her places of residence—Highgate and Hampstead—The Burlington Hotel in London—The Queen's offer of rooms in Kensington Palace: why declined—Her cats. IV. Reading and music—Her Italian sympathies. V. Seclusion from visitors, friends and relations—Miss Nightingale and her father. VI. Correspondence with her friends—Associations of the Burlington Hotel 491

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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