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proprieties would admit of her giving evidence； and at last； as a
compromise； her modesty only allowed her to do so in the form of
written answers to written questions。 At length； the grand affair
was finished。 The Commission's Report； embodying almost word for
word the suggestions of Miss Nightingale； was drawn up by Sidney
Herbert。 Only one question remained to be answeredwould
anything； after all； be done？ Or would the Royal Commission； like
so many other Royal Commissions before and since； turn out to
have achieved nothing but the concoction of a very fat bluebook
on a very high shelf？
And so the last and the deadliest struggle with the Bison began。
Six months had been spent in coercing him into granting the
Commission effective powers； six more months were occupied by the
work of the Commission； and now yet another six were to pass in
extorting from him the means whereby the recommendations of the
Commission might be actually carried out。 But； in the end； the
thing was done。 Miss Nightingale seemed； indeed； during these
months； to be upon the very brink of death。 Accompanied by the
faithful Aunt Mai； she moved from place to placeto Hampstead；
to Highgate； to Derbyshire； to Malvernin what appeared to be a
last desperate effort to find health somewhere； but she carried
that with her which made health impossible。 Her desire for work
could now scarcely be distinguished from mania。 At one moment she
was writing a 'last letter' to Sidney Herbert； at the next she
was offering to go out to India to nurse the sufferers in the
Mutiny。 When Dr。 Sutherland wrote； imploring her to take a
holiday； she raved。 Rest！'I am lying without my head； without
my claws； and you all peck at me。 It is de rigueur； d'obligation；
like the saying something to one's hat； when one goes into
church； to say to me all that has been said to me 110 times a day
during the last three months。 It is the obbligato on the violin；
and the twelve violins all practise it together； like the clocks
striking twelve o'clock at night all over London； till I say like
Xavier de Maistre； Assez； je sais； je ne le sais que trop。 I am
not a penitent； but you are like the R。C。 confessor； who says
what is de rigueur。 。。。'
Her wits began to turn； and there was no holding her。 She worked
like a slave in a mine。 She began to believe； as she had begun to
believe at Scutari； that none of her fellow…workers had their
hearts in the business； if they had； why did they not work as she
did？ She could only see slackness and stupidity around her。 Dr。
Sutherland； of course； was grotesquely muddle…headed； and Arthur
Clough incurably lazy。 Even Sidney Herbert 。。。 oh yes； he had
simplicity and candour and quickness of perception； no doubt； but
he was an eclectic； and what could one hope for from a man who
went away to fish in Ireland just when the Bison most needed
bullying？ As for the Bison himself； he had fled to Scotland where
he remained buried for many months。 The fate of the vital
recommendation in the Commission's Reportthe appointment of
four Sub…Commissions charged with the duty of determining upon
the details of the proposed reforms and of putting them into
executionstill hung in the balance。 The Bison consented to
everything； and then； on a flying visit to London； withdrew his
consent and hastily returned to Scotland。 Then for many weeks all
business was suspended； he had goutgout in the hands so that
he could not write。 'His gout was always handy；' remarked Miss
Nightingale。 But eventually it was clear even to the Bison that
the game was up； and the inevitable surrender came。
There was； however； one point in which he triumphed over Miss
Nightingale： the building of Netley Hospital had been begun under
his orders； before her return to England。 Soon after her arrival
she examined the plans； and found that they reproduced all the
worst faults of an out…of…date and mischievous system of hospital
construction。 She therefore urged that the matter should be
reconsidered； and in the meantime the building stopped。 But the
Bison was obdurate； it would be very expensive； and in any case
it was too late。 Unable to make any impression on him； and
convinced of the extreme importance of the question； she
determined to appeal to a higher authority。 Lord Palmerston was
Prime Minister； she had known him from her childhood； he was a
near neighbour of her father's in the New Forest。 She went down
to the New Forest； armed with the plan of the proposed hospital
and all the relevant information； stayed the night at Lord
Palmerston's house； and convinced him of the necessity of
rebuilding Netley。 'It seems to me；' Lord Palmerston wrote to
Lord Panmure； 'that at Netley all consideration of what would
best tend to the comfort and recovery of the patients has been
sacrificed to the vanity of the architect； whose sole object has
been to make a building which should cut a dash when looked at
from the Southampton river。。。 Pray； therefore； stop all further
progress in the work until the matter can be duly considered。'
But the Bison was not to be moved by one peremptory letter； even
if it was from the Prime Minister。 He put forth all his powers of
procrastination； Lord Palmerston lost interest in the subject；
and so the chief military hospital in England was triumphantly
completed on insanitary principles； with unventilated rooms； and
with all the patients' windows facing northeast。
But now the time had come when the Bison was to trouble and to be
troubled no more。 A vote in the House of Commons brought about
the fall of Lord Palmerston's Government； and； Lord Panmure found
himself at liberty to devote the rest of his life to the Free
Church of Scotland。 After a brief interval； Sidney Herbert became
Secretary of State for War。 Great was the jubilation in the
Nightingale Cabinet： the day of achievement had dawned at last。
The next two and a half years （1859…61） saw the introduction of
the whole system of reforms for which Miss Nightingale had been
struggling so fiercelyreforms which make Sidney Herbert's
tenure of power at the War Office an important epoch in the
history of the British Army。 The four Sub…Commissions； firmly
established under the immediate control of the Minister； and
urged forward by the relentless perseverance of Miss Nightingale；
set to work with a will。 The barracks and the hospitals were
remodelled； they were properly ventilated and warmed and lighted
for the first time； they were given a water supply which actually
supplied water； and kitchens where； strange to say； it was
possible to cook。 Then the great question of the Purveyorthat
portentous functionary whose powers and whose lack of powers had
weighed like a nightmare upon Scutariwas taken in hand； and new
regulations were laid down； accurately defining his
responsibilities and his duties。 One Sub…Commission reorganised
the medical statistics of the Army； another established in spite
of the last convulsive efforts of the Department an Army Medical
School。 Finally； the Army Medical Department itself was
completely reorganised； an administrative code was drawn up； and
the great and novel principle was established that it was as much
a part of the duty of the authorities to look after the soldier's
health as to look after his sickness。 Besides this； it was at
last officially admitted that he had a moral and intellectual
side。 Coffee…rooms and reading…rooms； gymnasiums and workshops
were instituted。 A new era did in truth appear to have begun。
Already by 1861 the mortality in the Army had decreased by one…
half since the days of the Crimea。 It was no wonder that even
vaster possibilities began now to open out before Miss
Nightingale。 One thing was still needed to complete and to assure
her triumphs。 The Army Medical Department was indeed reorganised；
but the great central machine was still untouched。 The War Office
itself！ If she could remould that nearer to her heart's desire…
…there indeed would be a victory！ And until that final act was
accomplished； how could she be certain that all the rest of her
achievements might not； by some capricious turn of Fortune's
wheela change of Ministry； perhaps； replacing Sidney Herbert by
some puppet of the permanent official gang be swept to limbo in
a moment？
Meanwhile； still ravenous for yet more and more work； her
activities had branched out into new directions。 The Army in
India claimed her attention。 A Sanitary Commission； appointed at
her suggestion； and working under her auspices； did for our
troops there what the four Sub…Commissions were doing for those
at home。 At the same time； these very years which saw her laying
the foundations of the whole modern system of medical work in the
Army； saw her also beginning to bring her knowledge； her
influence； and her activity into the service of the country at
large。 Her 〃Notes on Hospitals〃 （1859） revolutionised the theory
of h