Other ship-loads, buried beneath munitions of war destined
for Balaclava, passed Scutari without a sign, and thus hospital
materials were sometimes carried to and fro three times over the
Black Sea, before they reached their destination. The whole
system was clearly at fault, and Miss Nightingale suggested to
the home authorities that a Government Store House should be
instituted at Scutari for the reception and distribution of the
consignments. Six months after her arrival this was done.
In the meantime, she had reorganised the kitchens and the
laundries in the hospitals. The ill-cooked hunks of meat, vilely
served at irregular intervals, which had hitherto been the only
diet for the sick men, were replaced by punctual meals, well-
prepared and appetising, while strengthening extra foods-- soups
and wines and jellies ('preposterous luxuries', snarled Dr. Hall)
--were distributed to those who needed them. One thing, however,
she could not effect. The separation of the bones from the meat
was no part of official cookery: the rule was that the food must
be divided into equal portions, and if some of the portions were
all bone-- well, every man must take his chance. The rule,
perhaps, was not a very good one; but there it was. 'It would
require a new Regulation of the Service,' she was told, 'to bone
the meat.
Pages:
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192