Medal commemorating Florence Nightingale

Made:
1856-1901 in London
Medal commemorating Florence Nightingale Medal commemorating Florence Nightingale

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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Medal commemorating Florence Nightingale
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Medal commemorating Florence Nightingale
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Circular white metal medal in red leather-covered case, commemorates Florence Nightingale and her nursing work during the Crimean War, made by Pinches of London, English, 1856-1901

Florence Nightingale is one of the most famous women in Victorian medicine. Although she is best remembered for her work during the Crimean War (1853-56), Nightingale fundamentally changed the role of nursing in hospitals, and was a key figure in introducing new professional training standards.

In late 1854, following reports about the dreadful conditions and lack of medical supplies affecting injured soldiers fighting the Crimean War, Nightingale was invited by the Secretary of War to oversee the introduction of female nurses into military hospitals in Turkey. Formulating her own theories around infection, Nightingale worked to drastically reduce the numbers of soldiers dying from illnesses such as typhus, caused by poor standards of cleanliness.

Details

Category:
Wellcome Medals
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A109870
Materials:
case, wood, case, leather, case, brass, case, velvet and case, silk
Measurements:
overall: 3 mm, 41 mm,
case: 13 mm x 58 mm x 58 mm,
type:
commemorative medal
credit:
Wellcome Trust (Purchased from Stevens)