eminent victorians-第31部分

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he　remained　buried　for　many　months。　The　fate　of　the　vital

recommendation　in　the　Commission's　Reportthe　appointment　of

four　Sub…Commissions　charged　with　the　duty　of　determining　upon

the　details　of　the　proposed　reforms　and　of　putting　them　into

executionstill　hung　in　the　balance。　The　Bison　consented　to

everything；　and　then；　on　a　flying　visit　to　London；　withdrew　his

consent　and　hastily　returned　to　Scotland。　Then　for　many　weeks　all

business　was　suspended；　he　had　goutgout　in　the　hands　so　that

he　could　not　write。　'His　gout　was　always　handy；'　remarked　Miss

Nightingale。　But　eventually　it　was　clear　even　to　the　Bison　that

the　game　was　up；　and　the　inevitable　surrender　came。



There　was；　however；　one　point　in　which　he　triumphed　over　Miss

Nightingale：　the　building　of　Netley　Hospital　had　been　begun　under

his　orders；　before　her　return　to　England。　Soon　after　her　arrival

she　examined　the　plans；　and　found　that　they　reproduced　all　the

worst　faults　of　an　out…of…date　and　mischievous　system　of　hospital

construction。　She　therefore　urged　that　the　matter　should　be

reconsidered；　and　in　the　meantime　the　building　stopped。　But　the

Bison　was　obdurate；　it　would　be　very　expensive；　and　in　any　case

it　was　too　late。　Unable　to　make　any　impression　on　him；　and

convinced　of　the　extreme　importance　of　the　question；　she

determined　to　appeal　to　a　higher　authority。　Lord　Palmerston　was

Prime　Minister；　she　had　known　him　from　her　childhood；　he　was　a

near　neighbour　of　her　father's　in　the　New　Forest。　She　went　down

to　the　New　Forest；　armed　with　the　plan　of　the　proposed　hospital

and　all　the　relevant　information；　stayed　the　night　at　Lord

Palmerston's　house；　and　convinced　him　of　the　necessity　of

rebuilding　Netley。　'It　seems　to　me；'　Lord　Palmerston　wrote　to

Lord　Panmure；　'that　at　Netley　all　consideration　of　what　would

best　tend　to　the　comfort　and　recovery　of　the　patients　has　been

sacrificed　to　the　vanity　of　the　architect；　whose　sole　object　has

been　to　make　a　building　which　should　cut　a　dash　when　looked　at

from　the　Southampton　river。。。　　Pray；　therefore；　stop　all　further

progress　in　the　work　until　the　matter　can　be　duly　considered。'

But　the　Bison　was　not　to　be　moved　by　one　peremptory　letter；　even

if　it　was　from　the　Prime　Minister。　He　put　forth　all　his　powers　of

procrastination；　Lord　Palmerston　lost　interest　in　the　subject；

and　so　the　chief　military　hospital　in　England　was　triumphantly

completed　on　insanitary　principles；　with　unventilated　rooms；　and

with　all　the　patients'　windows　facing　northeast。



But　now　the　time　had　come　when　the　Bison　was　to　trouble　and　to　be

troubled　no　more。　A　vote　in　the　House　of　Commons　brought　about

the　fall　of　Lord　Palmerston's　Government；　and；　Lord　Panmure　found

himself　at　liberty　to　devote　the　rest　of　his　life　to　the　Free

Church　of　Scotland。　After　a　brief　interval；　Sidney　Herbert　became

Secretary　of　State　for　War。　Great　was　the　jubilation　in　the

Nightingale　Cabinet：　the　day　of　achievement　had　dawned　at　last。

The　next　two　and　a　half　years　（1859…61）　saw　the　introduction　of

the　whole　system　of　reforms　for　which　Miss　Nightingale　had　been

struggling　so　fiercelyreforms　which　make　Sidney　Herbert's

tenure　of　power　at　the　War　Office　an　important　epoch　in　the

history　of　the　British　Army。　The　four　Sub…Commissions；　firmly

established　under　the　immediate　control　of　the　Minister；　and

urged　forward　by　the　relentless　perseverance　of　Miss　Nightingale；

set　to　work　with　a　will。　The　barracks　and　the　hospitals　were

remodelled；　they　were　properly　ventilated　and　warmed　and　lighted

for　the　first　time；　they　were　given　a　water　supply　which　actually

supplied　water；　and　kitchens　where；　strange　to　say；　it　was

possible　to　cook。　Then　the　great　question　of　the　Purveyorthat

portentous　functionary　whose　powers　and　whose　lack　of　powers　had

weighed　like　a　nightmare　upon　Scutariwas　taken　in　hand；　and　new

regulations　were　laid　down；　accurately　defining　his

responsibilities　and　his　duties。　One　Sub…Commission　reorganised

the　medical　statistics　of　the　Army；　another　established　in　spite

of　the　last　convulsive　efforts　of　the　Department　an　Army　Medical

School。　Finally；　the　Army　Medical　Department　itself　was

completely　reorganised；　an　administrative　code　was　drawn　up；　and

the　great　and　novel　principle　was　established　that　it　was　as　much

a　part　of　the　duty　of　the　authorities　to　look　after　the　soldier's

health　as　to　look　after　his　sickness。　Besides　this；　it　was　at

last　officially　admitted　that　he　had　a　moral　and　intellectual

side。　Coffee…rooms　and　reading…rooms；　gymnasiums　and　workshops

were　instituted。　A　new　era　did　in　truth　appear　to　have　begun。

Already　by　1861　the　mortality　in　the　Army　had　decreased　by　one…

half　since　the　days　of　the　Crimea。　It　was　no　wonder　that　even

vaster　possibilities　began　now　to　open　out　before　Miss

Nightingale。　One　thing　was　still　needed　to　complete　and　to　assure

her　triumphs。　The　Army　Medical　Department　was　indeed　reorganised；

but　the　great　central　machine　was　still　untouched。　The　War　Office

itself！　If　she　could　remould　that　nearer　to　her　heart's　desire…

…there　indeed　would　be　a　victory！　And　until　that　final　act　was

accomplished；　how　could　she　be　certain　that　all　the　rest　of　her

achievements　might　not；　by　some　capricious　turn　of　Fortune's

wheela　change　of　Ministry；　perhaps；　replacing　Sidney　Herbert　by

some　puppet　of　the　permanent　official　gang　be　swept　to　limbo　in

a　moment？



Meanwhile；　still　ravenous　for　yet　more　and　more　work；　her

activities　had　branched　out　into　new　directions。　The　Army　in

India　claimed　her　attention。　A　Sanitary　Commission；　appointed　at

her　suggestion；　and　working　under　her　auspices；　did　for　our

troops　there　what　the　four　Sub…Commissions　were　doing　for　those

at　home。　At　the　same　time；　these　very　years　which　saw　her　laying

the　foundations　of　the　whole　modern　system　of　medical　work　in　the

Army；　saw　her　also　beginning　to　bring　her　knowledge；　her

influence；　and　her　activity　into　the　service　of　the　country　at

large。　Her　〃Notes　on　Hospitals〃　（1859）　revolutionised　the　theory

of　hospital　construction　and　hospital　management。　She　was

immediately　recognised　as　the　leading　expert　upon　all　the

questions　involved；　her　advice　flowed　unceasingly　and　in　all

directions；　so　that　there　is　no　great　hospital　today　which　does

not　bear　upon　it　the　impress　of　her　mind。　Nor　was　this　all。　With

the　opening　of　the　Nightingale　Training　School　for　Nurses　at　St。

Thomas's　Hospital　（1860）；　she　became　the　founder　of　modern

nursing。



But　a　terrible　crisis　was　now　fast　approaching。　Sidney　Herbert

had　consented　to　undertake　the　root　and　branch　reform　of　the　War

Office。　He　had　sallied　forth　into　that　tropical　jungle　of　

festooned　obstructiveness；　of　intertwisted　irresponsibilities；　of

crouching　prejudices；　of　abuses　grown　stiff　and　rigid　with

antiquity；　which　for　so　many　years　to　come　was　destined　to　lure

reforming　Ministers　to　their　doom。　'The　War　Office；'　said　Miss

Nightingale；　'is　a　very　slow　office；　an　enormously　expensive

office；　and　one　in　which　the　Minister's　intentions　can　be

entirely　negated　by　all　his　sub…departments；　and　those　of　each　of

the　sub…departments　by　every　other。'　It　was　true；　and　of　course；

at　the；　first　rumour　of　a　change；　the　old　phalanx　of　reaction　was

bristling　with　its　accustomed　spears。　At　its　head　stood　no　longer

Dr。　Andrew　Smith；　who；　some　time　since；　had　followed　the　Bison

into　outer　darkness；　but　a　yet　more　formidable　figure；　the

Permanent　Under…Secretary　himself；　Sir　Benjamin　Hawes　Ben　Hawes

the　Nightingale　Cabinet　irreverently　dubbed　him　〃a　man　remarkable

even　among　civil　servants　for　adroitness　in　baffling　inconvenient

inquiries；　resource　in　raising　false　issues；　and；　in；　short；　a

consummate　command　of　all　the　arts　of　officially　sticking　in　the

mud'。



'Our　scheme　will　probably　result　in　Ben　Hawes's　resignation；'

Miss　Nightingale　said；　'and　that　is　another　of　its　advantages。'

Ben　Hawes　himself；　however；　did　not　quite　see　it　in　that　light。

He　set　himself　to　resist　the　wishes　of　the　Minister　by　every

means　in　his　power。　The　struggle　was　long；　and　desperate；　and；　as

it　proceeded；　it　gradually　became　evident　to　Miss　Nightingale

that　something　was　the　matter　with　Sidney　Herbert。　What　was　it？

His　health；　never　very　strong；　was；　he　said；　in　danger　of

collapsing　under　the　strain　of　his　work。　But；　after　all；　what　is

illness；　when　there　is　a　War　Office　to　be　reorganised？　Then　he

began　to　talk　of　retiring　altogether　from　public　life。　The

doctors　were　consulted；　and　declared　that；　above　all　things；　what

was　necessary　was　rest。　Rest！　She　grew　seriously　alarmed。　Was　it

possible　that；　at　the　last　moment；　the　crowning　wreath　of　victory

was　to　be　snatched　from　her　grasp？　She　was　not　to　be　put　aside　by

doctors；　they　were　talking　nonsense；　the　necessary　thing　was　not

rest；　but　the　reform　of　the　War　Office；　and；　besides；　she　knew

very　well　from　her　own　case　what　one　could　do　even　when　one　was

on　the　point　of　death。



She　expostulated　vehemently；　passionately；　the　goal　was　so　near；

so　very　near；　he　could　not　turn　back　now！　At　any　rate；　he　could

not　resist　Miss　Nightingale。　A　compromise　was　arranged。　Very

reluctantly；　he　exchanged　the　turmoil　of　the　House　of　Commons　for

the　dignity　of　the　House　of　Lords；　and　he　remained　at　the　War

Office。　She　was　delighted。　'One　fight　more；　the　best　and　the

last；'　she　said。



For　several　more　months　the　fight　did　indeed　go　on。　But　the

strain　upon　him　was　greater　even　than　she　perhaps　could　realise。

Besides　the　intestine　war　in　his　office；　he　had　to　face　a

constant　battle　in　the　Cabinet　with　Mr。　Gladstonea　more

redoubtable　antagonist　even　than　Ben　Hawesover　the　estimates。

His　health　grew　worse　and　worse。　He　was　attacked　by　faintingfits；

and　there　were　some　days　when　he　could　only　just　keep　himself

going　by　gulps　of　brandy。　Miss　Nightingale　spurred　him　forward

with　her　encouragements　and　her　admonitions；　her　zeal　and　her

example。　But　at　last　his　spirit　began　to　sink　as　well