lessed of my Father;
I was sick and ye visited me."

--MATT., Chap. 25.

"A lady with a lamp shall stand
In the great history of the land,
A noble type of good
Heroic womanhood."

--H.W. LONGFELLOW, "To Florence Nightingale."

CHAPTER III

HOSPITALS--RED CROSS--V.A.D.

When war broke out on August 4, 1914, probably the only women in our
country who knew exactly how they could help, and would be used in the
war, were our nurses in the Navy and Army nursing services.

In the Army, Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service
had in it at that time about 280 members, matrons, sisters and staff
nurses, Miss Becher, R.R.C., being Matron-in-Chief for Military
Hospitals. The Q.A.I.M.N.S. had a large Reserve which was also
immediately called out and these nurses were used at once, six parties
being sent to France and Belgium by August 20th.

The Second Branch was the Territorial Force Nursing Service, which was
in 1914 eight years old. It was initiated by Miss Haldane and a draft
scheme of an establishment of nurses willing to serve in general
hospitals in the event of the Territorial Forces being mobilized, was
submitted at a meeting held in Miss Haldane's house, Sir Alfred Keogh,
Medical Director General, being present. This scheme was approved and
an Advisory Council appointed at the War Office.

The Matrons of the largest and most important nurse-training centres
in the Kingdom were appointed as principal matrons (unpaid) and to
them the success of this Force is largely due. They received the
applications of matrons, sisters and nurses willing to join, looked
after their references and submitted them, after approval by the Local
Committee, to the Advisory Council. To their splendid work was due the
ease of the vast mobilization of nurses when war broke out. There were
then 3,000 nurses on their rolls. On August 5th they were called out
and in ten days 23 Territorial General Hospitals in England, Wales and
Scotland were ready to receive the wounded and the nurses were also
ready.

Each hospital had 520 beds, but this accommodation was quite
inadequate after a few months of war, and the accommodation of
practically every hospital was increased to 1,000 to 3,000 beds and
many Auxiliary Hospitals had to be organized. By June, 1915, the
Territorial Nursing Staff was 4,000 in number and in Hospitals in
France and in Belgium and in clearing stations,