Coincidences of history
Having recently researched the history of nursing during the period around the Crimean War of 1853-6 (background for my recently published historical romance, DAISY ASHTON ABROAD) I became curious about the role of women in the conflict of the next decade across the Atlantic. Naturally I came across a lady called Dorothea Lynde Dix (1802-87) who served as Superintendent of Army Nurses for the Union Army. She was almost 20 years senior to her UK counterpart, Florence Nightingale, but their approach to the use of female nurses during war was similar. Dorothea stipulated recruits be aged 35-50 and ‘plain looking’ and should wear no jewellery or cosmetics. She was known to fire volunteer nurses she’d not personally trained or hired. Like Florence she feared attractive younger women would tempt both doctors and patients and she similarly came into conflict with the doctors over control of facilities and hiring of nurses. As in the Crimea, many Catholic nuns served as nurses and, like Florence, it was said Dorothea was not comfortable working alongside them. I could find no evidence that the two women ever met, although Dorothea did visit Europe and stayed with a couple who knew of Florence Nightingale’s work. Florence, who was once courted by a Baron, would perhaps not have been flattered to learn Dorothea’s assessment that Florence met her standards of being ‘perfectly plain’!
Having recently researched the history of nursing during the period around the Crimean War of 1853-6 (background for my recently published historical romance, DAISY ASHTON ABROAD) I became curious about the role of women in the conflict of the next decade across the Atlantic. Naturally I came across a lady called Dorothea Lynde Dix (1802-87) who served as Superintendent of Army Nurses for the Union Army. She was almost 20 years senior to her UK counterpart, Florence Nightingale, but their approach to the use of female nurses during war was similar. Dorothea stipulated recruits be aged 35-50 and ‘plain looking’ and should wear no jewellery or cosmetics. She was known to fire volunteer nurses she’d not personally trained or hired. Like Florence she feared attractive younger women would tempt both doctors and patients and she similarly came into conflict with the doctors over control of facilities and hiring of nurses. As in the Crimea, many Catholic nuns served as nurses and, like Florence, it was said Dorothea was not comfortable working alongside them. I could find no evidence that the two women ever met, although Dorothea did visit Europe and stayed with a couple who knew of Florence Nightingale’s work. Florence, who was once courted by a Baron, would perhaps not have been flattered to learn Dorothea’s assessment that Florence met her standards of being ‘perfectly plain’!
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