Florence Nightingale's Rivals

Florence Nightingale is synonymous with nursing in the Crimean War of 1854 -1856. There were, however, many other women who contributed to nursing at this time. Martha Clough, who dismissed the rule of Nightingale and took charge of nursing the HighlandRegiments; Eliza Roberts, an experienced hospital surgical nurse who became Nightingale'saide-de-camp, nursing Nightingale when she fell ill with Crimean Fever and those with a wider scope of caring, such as Mary Seacole,whose nutritious supplements andcaring demeanourmeant everything to the soldiers. This book focuses on therelationship between Nightingale and two very interesting characters: the irascibleBetsy Cadwaladyr and the equally strong-willed Mother M. Francis Bridgeman, head of thenursing Irish Sisters of Mercy in the Crimea. Bridgeman camefrom a similar social standing as Nightingale but whose pathway sawher leaving society lifestyle as a young girl and following the convent life.Cadwaladyr earned Nightingale's respect towards the endof her time in the Crimea due to her care of soldiers and her ability to run the kitchen atBalaklava, but nothing would change her stubborn dislike of Nightingale. The Sisters of Mercy, much overlooked in nursing history, were clinicallynursing the victims of cholera and dysentery (two of the biggest killers in the Crimea) in theirlocalities long before their journey to the battlefront. Betsy Cadwaladyrpreferred domestic service and cooking to nursing, whilst Nightingale had the unenviable taskof proving the nursing experiment to those watching from Westminster, trying not to upsetthe medical men as well as trying to filter out the best women to nurse with her,which was a nightmare in itself.