Florence Nightingale

It is a small museum.

Tucked below a large hospital.

The billboards are much grander than the actual entrance.

After paying admission, you are handed a stethoscope.

The chest piece is to be placed on any lit circle in the exhibit.

Want to hear about Florence’s wealthy upbringing and daily studies, place the chest piece in that circle and listen…..how about her ‘calling from God’, her parents opposition to her nursing career, time spent in the Crimean War, or her firm views on sanitation and health.

Interesting approach but ever so slightly awkward.

I might be taller than the average visitor because I seemed to be hunched down in order to get my chest piece in line to ‘activate’.

No worries.

Lit circle ready for stethoscope chest piece (off to the left) 

as kids reach through the bandaged exhibit to touch

the multi-media screens (showing how to treat a patient). 

Best part was the Florence re-enactor.

This gal, dressed for the part, came out and kept a group of school children spellbound as she talked about the dangers of wee and poo and vermin in hospitals. Vivid descriptions of non-working toilets where she tried to keep the poor soldiers alive. Some even lying on the dirty floors as there were not enough beds. Lack of toilet paper. Using those same hands to later eat the moldy bread that was passed out for a meal. No change of clothes or any bathing for up to two months.

A dramatic pause.

“Children, can you imagine no bath or new clothes until after Christmas,” she exclaimed.

We were riveted and slightly nauseous (perhaps that was just me, the kids kept popping up their hands with more questions and wondering aloud why the soldiers weren’t using pieces of newspaper to wipe).

“Because, children, they did not even have newspaper – isn’t that astonishing!”

The finale came when ‘Florence’ brought out her trunk and dressed two little volunteers – one in a bustle and apron and the other in a soldier’s jacket.

The rest of the exhibit showcased everything from the bed that Florence Nightingale slept in to her uniform to a wall of class pictures of graduating nurses.

But I shall remember the high-pitched voice of the re-enactor and the necessity of proper hygiene!