Nursing Pioneer

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7062, 23 January 1933, Page 2

Nursing Pioneer

ITALY’S FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE HOMAGE TO MEMORY

A Requiem Mass was solemnised in Rome on October 24 in the ancient church of San Clemente for the soul of Miss Dorothy Snell, an English woman well beloved and honoured in Italy. Sbo was tho pioneer of modern nursing services in Italy, and revolutionised tho training system of Italian sisters. Tho Requiem Mass marked tho end of a series of religious services held since her death, all of which were attended by representatives of tho Italian Royal family, the British Embassy, the Italian Government, Italian and English medical and nursing institutions, and large numbers of tho general public. Miss Snell, who was G2 years of age, wa's called by Queen Elena of Italy in 1910 to undertake the task of training Italian girls as nurses. ' With sixteen English nurses and twelve Italian pupils, Miss Snell inaugurated at tho Romo General Hospital her training college, which grew under her care into one of the formost institutions of its kind in Europe. Miss Snell was originally at tho London Hospital and the Military Hospital, Aldershot, and served in the Boer War and throughout tho Great War on the Italian front. At her funeral service after she had lain in state in her matron’s uniform, tho nurses of Rome were drawn up in a hollow squaro outside the General Hospital. Before her bier, covered with flowers and surmounted by wreaths of English roses from the Queen of Italy, the director of the hospital, Dr Gallo, delivered a funeral oration in which he said: “Her life was devoted to ono end in Italy—the training of nurses in the world-renowned English way. She represnted the great qualities of her race, and these she dedicated to a foreign country. We are deeply grateful, and give heartfelt thanks for her life of service.’’ As the funeral procession moved away, all present raised their arms in the Fascist salute, and a procession of nourners more than a mile long, representing all grades of society from tho Queen to humble patients, followed tne coffin to its last resting-place in the Campo !santo.