Florence Nightingale's moccasins, 1850-1856
It is said these moccasins were worn by Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), while she worked at Scutari military hospital, Constantinople – modern day Istanbul in Turkey. The traditional story reports that Nightingale dramatically reduced the death rates of soldiers from forty per cent to two per cent in two years by enforcing cleanliness, special diets and improving the day-to-day running of the hospital. Recent research suggests that the death rate actually rose during the beginning of Nightingale’s stay as she believed that poor nutrition and exhaustion were causing the high mortality rate instead of diseases such as cholera, typhus and dysentery. The death rate only dropped after a commission was sent out six months after her arrival to clean sewers and improve ventilation, preventing the spread of the water-borne diseases.
Object number:
A96087
Related Themes and Topics
Related links
People:
Glossary:
Glossary: moccasins
Heelless footwear made entirely of soft leather, as deerskin, with the sole brought up to form part or all of the upper portion covering the foot, and with a back seam; worn originally by indigenous peoples of North America. Also, shoes of similar construction, with hard sole and heel attached, made of soft or hard leather or leatherlike material.
Glossary: typhus
A severe and often fatal infectious disease. It is transmitted mainly by body lice. Its symptoms are high fever, stupor, intense headache, and a dark red rash.
Glossary: cholera
A severe infection of the small intestine commonly contracted through eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea, leading to dehydration, which can be fatal.
Glossary: dysentery
Infectious disease with symptoms including diarrhoea, bleeding, and abdominal cramps. It spreads in contaminated food and water, especially in the tropics.
Glossary: mortality
The number of deaths which occur in a given area or period, from a particular disease, etc.; the average frequency of death; death rate.