NIGHTINGALE, PUBLIC HEALTH AND VICTORIAN SOCIETY
from the British Library, London

Part 3: Writings on Nursing, India, Religion, Philosophy and other subjects with correspondence regarding the Nightingale Fund

"If Nightingale’s personal life is often written about badly, her massive work on India has scarcely been written on at all. The first full-length book on it appeared in 2004 and scholarly articles are rare and scant. Yet Nightingale worked professionally on India for more than 40 years. She instigated a royal commission on India and encouraged broad terms of reference for public health (a well-known fact). Her meetings with viceroys before they departed for their posts are also well known, but not the years of behind-the-scenes work prodding officials, badgering governors and viceroys, meeting with officials in London and increasingly with Indian nationals committed to reform. All this is clear in the original sources.” 

Lynn McDonald, Consultant Editor
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph 
Editor of 'The Collected Works of Florence Nightingale'

Based on the British Library’s superb collection of correspondence and literary manuscripts, this exciting new project enables scholars to explore all aspects of the life and works of a Victorian icon. 

Part 3 makes available the full range of her manuscript writings on Nursing, India, Religion and other subjects.  These help us to understand her detailed knowledge of each topic and the interconnectivity between various spheres of interest. There are drafts of her pioneering studies Notes on Nursing for the Labouring Classes and Introductory Notes on Lying-in Institutions, as well as writing on religion and philosophy, such as Suggestions for Thought. There are also diaries and notebooks. In addition, there are fifteen volumes of correspondence between Nightingale and her cousin, Henry Bonham Carter, concerning the Ninghtingale Fund (1861-1902).

Those researching the history of medicine, nursing, public health and social reform will find her manuscripts to be resource of great value.