eminent victorians-第31章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



together；　who　were　not　too　obviously　infirm　for　the　work。　At　last

the　journey　was　accomplished；　slowly；　one　by　one；　living　or

dying；　the　wounded　were　carried　up　into　the　hospital。　And　in　the

hospital　what　did　they　find？



Lasciate　ogni　speranza；　voi　ch'entrate：　the　delusive　doors　bore

no　such　inscription；　and　yet　behind　them　Hell　yawned。　Want；

neglect；　confusion；　misery　in　every　shape　and　in　every　degree

of　intensity　filled　the　endless　corridors　and　the　vast

apartments　of　the　gigantic　barrack…house；　which；　without

forethought　or　preparation；　had　been　hurriedly　set　aside　as　the

chief　shelter　for　the　victims　of　the　war。　The　very　building

itself　was　radically　defective。　Huge　sewers　underlay　it；　and

cesspools　loaded　with　filth　wafted　their　poison　into　the　upper

rooms。　The　floors　were　in　so　rotten　a　condition　that　many　of　them

could　not　be　scrubbed；　the　walls　were　thick　with　dirt；　incredible

multitudes　of　vermin　swarmed　everywhere。　And；　enormous　as　the

building　was；　it　was　yet　too　small。　It　contained　four　miles　of

beds；　crushed　together　so　close　that　there　was　but　just　room　to

pass　between　them。　Under　such　conditions；　the　most　elaborate

system　of　ventilation　might　well　have　been　at　fault；　but　here

there　was　no　ventilation。　The　stench　was　indescribable。　'I　have

been　well　acquainted；'　said　Miss　Nightingale；　'with　the　dwellings

of　the　worst　parts　of　most　of　the　great　cities　in　Europe；　but

have　never　been　in　any　atmosphere　which　I　could　compare　with　that

of　the　Barrack　Hospital　at　night。'　The　structural　defects　were

equalled　by　the　deficiencies　in　the　commonest　objects　of　hospital

use。　There　were　not　enough　bedsteads；　the　sheets　were　of　canvas；

and　so　coarse　that　the　wounded　men　recoiled　from　them；　begging　to

be　left　in　their　blankets；　there　was　no　bedroom　furniture　of　any

kind；　and　empty　beer　bottles　were　used　for　candlesticks。　There

were　no　basins；　no　towels；　no　soap；　no　brooms；　no　mops；　no　trays；

no　plates；　there　were　neither　slippers　nor　scissors；　neither

shoe…brushes　nor　blacking；　there　were　no　knives　or　forks　or

spoons。　The　supply　of　fuel　was　constantly　deficient。　The　cooking

arrangements　were　preposterously　inadequate；　and　the　laundry　was

a　farce。　As　for　purely　medical　materials；　the　tale　was　no　better。

Stretchers；　splints；　bandagesall　were　lacking；　and　so　were　the

most　ordinary　drugs。



To　replace　such　wants；　to　struggle　against　such　difficulties；

there　was　a　handful　of　men　overburdened　by　the　strain　of

ceaseless　work；　bound　down　by　the　traditions　of　official　routine；

and　enfeebled　either　by　old　age　or　inexperience　or　sheer

incompetence。　They　had　proved　utterly　unequal　to　their　task。　The

principal　doctor　was　lost　in　the　imbecilities　of　a　senile

optimism。　The　wretched　official　whose　business　it　was　to　provide

for　the　wants　of　the　hospital　was　tied　fast　hand　and　foot　by　red

tape。　A　few　of　the　younger　doctors　struggled　valiantly；　but　what

could　they　do？　Unprepared；　disorganised；　with　such　help　only　as

they　could　find　among　the　miserable　band　of　convalescent　soldiers

drafted　off　to　tend　their　sick　comrades；　they　were　faced　with

disease；　mutilation；　and　death　in　all　their　most　appalling　forms；

crowded　multitudinously　about　them　in　an　ever…increasing　mass。

They　were　like　men　in　a　shipwreck；　fighting；　not　for　safety；　but

for　the　next　moment's　bare　existence　to　gain；　by　yet　another

frenzied　effort；　some　brief　respite　from　the　waters　of

destruction。



In　these　surroundings；　those　who　had　been　long　inured　to　scenes

of　human　suffering　surgeons　with　a　world…wide　knowledge　of

agonies；　soldiers　familiar　with　fields　of　carnage；　missionaries

with　remembrances　of　famine　and　of　plague　yet　found　a　depth　of

horror　which　they　had　never　known　before。　There　were　moments；

there　were　places；　in　the　Barrack　Hospital　at　Scutari；　where　the

strongest　hand　was　struck　with　trembling；　and　the　boldest　eye

would　turn　away　its　gaze。



Miss　Nightingale　came；　and　she；　at　any　rate；　in　that　inferno；　did

not　abandon　hope。　For　one　thing；　she　brought　material　succour。

Before　she　left　London　she　had　consulted　Dr。　Andrew　Smith；　the

head　of　the　Army　Medical　Board；　as　to　whether　it　would　be　useful

to　take　out　stores　of　any　kind　to　Scutari；　and　Dr。　Andrew　Smith

had　told　her　that　'nothing　was　needed'。　Even　Sidney　Herbert　had

given　her　similar　assurances；　possibly；　owing　to　an　oversight；

there　might　have　been　some　delay　in　the　delivery　of　the　medical

stores；　which；　he　said；　had　been　sent　out　from　England　'in

profusion'；　but　'four　days　would　have　remedied　this'。　She

preferred　to　trust　her　own　instincts；　and　at　Marseilles　purchased

a　large　quantity　of　miscellaneous　provisions；　which　were　of　the

utmost　use　at　Scutari。　She　came；　too；　amply　provided　with　money

in　all；　during　her　stay　in　the　East；　about　￡7；000　reached　her

from　private　sources；　and；　in　addition；　she　was　able　to　avail

herself　of　another　valuable　means　of　help。



At　the　same　time　as　herself；　Mr。　Macdonald；　of　The　Times；　had

arrived　at　Scutari；　charged　with　the　duty　of　administering　the

large　sums　of　money　collected　through　the　agency　of　that

newspaper　in　aid　of　the　sick　and　wounded；　and　Mr。　Macdonald　had

the　sense　to　see　that　the　best　use　he　could　make　of　The　Times

Fund　was　to　put　it　at　the　disposal　of　Miss　Nightingale。　'I　cannot

conceive；'　wrote　an　eye…witness；　'as　I　now　calmly　look　back　on

the　first　three　weeks　after　the　arrival　of　the　wounded　from

Inkerman；　how　it　could　have　been　possible　to　have　avoided　a　state

of　things　too　disastrous　to　contemplate；　had　not　Miss　Nightingale

been　there；　with　the　means　placed　at　her　disposal　by　Mr。

Macdonald。'　But　the　official　view　was　different。　What！　Was　the

public　service　to　admit；　by　accepting　outside　charity；　that　it

was　unable　to　discharge　its　own　duties　without　the　assistance　of

private　and　irregular　benevolence？　Never！　And　accordingly　when

Lord　Stratford　de　Redcliffe；　our　ambassador　at　Constantinople；

was　asked　by　Mr。　Macdonald　to　indicate　how　The　Times　Fund　could

best　be　employed；　he　answered　that　there　was　indeed　one　object　to

which　it　might　very　well　be　devoted　the　building　of　an　English

Protestant　Church　at　Pera。



Mr。　Macdonald　did　not　waste　further　time　with　Lord　Stratford；　and

immediately　joined　forces　with　Miss　Nightingale。　But；　with　such　a

frame　of　mind　in　the　highest　quarters；　it　is　easy　to　imagine　the

kind　of　disgust　and　alarm　with　which　the　sudden　intrusion　of　a

band　of　amateurs　and　females　must　have　filled　the　minds　of　the

ordinary　officer　and　the　ordinary　military　surgeon。　They　could

not　understand　it　what　had　women　to　do　with　war？　Honest

Colonels　relieved　their　spleen　by　the　cracking　of　heavy　jokes

about　'the　Bird'；　while　poor　Dr。　Hall；　a　rough　terrier　of　a　man；

who　had　worried　his　way　to　the　top　of　his　profession；　was　struck

speechless　with　astonishment；　and　at　last　observed　that　Miss

Nightingale's　appointment　was　extremely　droll。



Her　position　was；　indeed；　an　official　one；　but　it　was　hardly　the

easier　for　that。　In　the　hospitals　it　was　her　duty　to　provide　the

services　of　herself　and　her　nurses　when　they　were　asked　for　by

the　doctors；　and　not　until　then。　At　first　some　of　the　surgeons

would　have　nothing　to　say　to　her；　and；　though　she　was　welcomed　by

others；　the　majority　were　hostile　and　suspicious。　But　gradually

she　gained　ground。　Her　good　will　could　not　be　denied；　and　her

capacity　could　not　be　disregarded。　With　consummate　tact；　with　all

the　gentleness　of　supreme　strength；　she　managed　at　last　to　impose

her　personality　upon　the　susceptible；　overwrought；　discouraged；

and　helpless　group　of　men　in　authority　who　surrounded　her。　She

stood　firm；　she　was　a　rock　in　the　angry　ocean；　with　her　alone　was

safety；　comfort；　life。　And　so　it　was　that　hope　dawned　at　Scutari。

The　reign　of　chaos　and　old　night　began　to　dwindle；　order　came

upon　the　scene；　and　common　sense；　and　forethought；　and　decision；

radiating　out　from　the　little　room　off　the　great　gallery　in　the

Barrack　Hospital　where；　day　a