mary seacole vs florence nightingale 
Jessica Genockey
Sunday, 30 November y
How far do the sources suggest that Mary Seacole made a larger contribution to improving the health of soldiers in the crimean war than Florence Nightingale?
After looking at the sources, i have come to a judgement that they as a whole suggest that Mary Seacole made a larger impact on the health of the soldiers during her time in the crimea. Furthermore, there is also evidence in source 6 from which i can infer that Seacole considered the emotional health of soldiers as well as physical. In support of my judgement, sources 3 and 6 give examples of how Seacole operated during the crimean war and what problems she had to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Source three is a extract from Mary Seacole’s biography ‘The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in many Lands’,this source is generally helpful in distinguishing the role Seacole played in improving the well-being of soldiers. This is due to the source detailing the daily routine of Mary Seacole at her own establishment ‘The British Hotel’. In the source Seacole writes ‘…there was plenty to do before the the work of the day began…’ from this it can be suggested that other nurses such as Nightingale who followed the strict government rules and regime, slacked behind Seacole’s dedication to prepare for the day ahead. This is relevant to answering the question as through Seacole’s dedication she might have been able to make more of a contribution.
In addition, she mentions medicines, this also gives an example of how she contributed more to the health of soldiers. Seacole had made links between illness, medicine, dirt and cleanliness. In the source she states ‘…the medicines to be mixed; the store to be swept and cleaned.’ from this it is clear that she as an individual trained non-professionally had some knowledge of the link between dirt and disease, considering germ theory wasn’t officially discovered until 1861- five years after the end of the Crimean war suggests
Sunday, 30 November y
How far do the sources suggest that Mary Seacole made a larger contribution to improving the health of soldiers in the crimean war than Florence Nightingale?
After looking at the sources, i have come to a judgement that they as a whole suggest that Mary Seacole made a larger impact on the health of the soldiers during her time in the crimea. Furthermore, there is also evidence in source 6 from which i can infer that Seacole considered the emotional health of soldiers as well as physical. In support of my judgement, sources 3 and 6 give examples of how Seacole operated during the crimean war and what problems she had to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Source three is a extract from Mary Seacole’s biography ‘The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in many Lands’,this source is generally helpful in distinguishing the role Seacole played in improving the well-being of soldiers. This is due to the source detailing the daily routine of Mary Seacole at her own establishment ‘The British Hotel’. In the source Seacole writes ‘…there was plenty to do before the the work of the day began…’ from this it can be suggested that other nurses such as Nightingale who followed the strict government rules and regime, slacked behind Seacole’s dedication to prepare for the day ahead. This is relevant to answering the question as through Seacole’s dedication she might have been able to make more of a contribution.
In addition, she mentions medicines, this also gives an example of how she contributed more to the health of soldiers. Seacole had made links between illness, medicine, dirt and cleanliness. In the source she states ‘…the medicines to be mixed; the store to be swept and cleaned.’ from this it is clear that she as an individual trained non-professionally had some knowledge of the link between dirt and disease, considering germ theory wasn’t officially discovered until 1861- five years after the end of the Crimean war suggests