14. The Crimean War’s Other Nurse
Jamaica’s pioneering nurse and Crimean War heroine Mary Seacole (1805 – 1881) was a black woman, who overcame the double prejudices of racism and sexism to accomplish great things and save thousands. A businesswoman and adventurer, she set up what came to be known as the “British Hotel” for convalescent officers behind the Crimean War’s front lines, and cared for wounded soldiers on the battlefield.
She was born to a Scottish soldier and a black mother who used traditional African and Caribbean herbal remedies and passed that knowledge on to her daughter. Seacole and her mother ran a boarding house for invalid soldiers, that was viewed as one of Kingston’s best hotels. The precarious health of many of the guests meant that Mary grew up with firsthand knowledge of dealing with ailments and physical crises. An inveterate traveler, she visited much of the Caribbean and Central America, as well as Britain, and complimented her knowledge of traditional medicines with European medical ideas.
