Florence Nightengale

[Bo Shoi Ming]

Watched a wonderful old black and white movie called "The White Angel" a biography of Florence Nightengale, staring Kay Francis (a beauty from the 30's).

She was born to an extremely weathly family in London but was unhappy as a "rich girl" Era mid 1800s.

She enrolled in the only nursing school on the continent, in Germany. England at that time 1850 had none.

She could not get a job as a nurse, in spite of her family's wealth and connections. Many nurses in England during the 1800's were alcoholics, prostitutes, and thieves who took from their patients.

She finally enrolled as the first female nurse in the entire English army and convinced 37 other nurses, and a rotund cook to help with the hospitalized in a war in the far East. She and her nurses managed to decrease mortality in the hospital from 86% to less than 5%.

In spite of many officers dislike for women nurses and numerous obstacles for women, she finally succeeded in getting Queen Victoria to open schools of nursing.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Bo