INVESTITURE OF MISS CRISP WITH THE RED CROSS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6997, 21 April 1884, Page 6

INVESTITURE OF MISS CRISP WITH THE RED CROSS.

THE CEREMONY AT GOVERN MENT house. :■ ;;,c -

Miss AlicbCrisp, superintendent of nurses at the Auckland Hoapital, was invested with the Royal Red Cross at Governnient House on Saturday by His* Excellency the Go-, vernor. : JUady Jervois held an " At Home " from half-past three to half-past four p.m., and all the visitors, after being received by Lady Jervois, passed into the ball-room to witness the ceremony of the presentation of the' Ked: CrO3S. Before half-past four the ball-room waa crowded, not even standing room being left". : There were probably between 500 and 600 persons present. At the appointed time, .Lady Jervois entered the room, being accompanied by Miss Jervois and Miss Crisp. Shortly afterwards His Excellency the Governor entered, the asiem--blage receiving him standing. Lady JervoiF, Miss Jervois, ftev. W. H< H. Jervois, Mr. Pennefather (Private Secretary), Major Ecclea (A.D.C.), remained present during the seremoby. Amongst those who occupied eeata on the dais' where the presentation took place. were .'His Worship the Mayor * and ' Mrs. "Waddel, Mrs. Crisp (mother of Miss Crisp), Messrs. J. M. Clark, Thos. Peacock, M.H.R., Colonel Haultain, S. Dando, E. A. Maokechnie (members of the Hospital Committee), Dr. Haines (one of the medical staff of the Hospital), Bishop Luck, Rev. Monsignor Fjnes, Captain Daveney. In the body of the hall there were gathered a number of the leading citizens of Auckland, medical men, and others interested in the ceremony. His Excellence said : Ladies and Gentlemen, —I do not think there could be any more fitting occasion for the duty which devolves upon me this afternoon than that of onr first gathering at Government House during our annual visit to Auckland, and I am glad to see so many of our friends present. But I know that to the interest of the ceremony which I am about to perform must be due the large number of ladies and gentlemen I see before me and around me. I have especial pleasure—it affords me, indeed, unusual gratification—that it falls to my lot to take part in the ceremony' of investing Miss Crisp with the decoration which she has so nobly earned. Mias Crisp's name is known well to you all as the super, intendent of the nurses of the Anokland Hoapital, also as one who has been engaged actively in hospital management in the mother country, who has been engaged in active service during war, in two campaigns, and who on all occasions, and throughout her career in the' public service, has given the utmost satisfaction not only to those above her, but to the patients whom she has tended, and with whom she has ever had that sympathy whioh is almost more : to them than* aotnal nursing of their maladies I or their wounds. Miss Crisp, as yon all, I believe, know—for it has appeared in the public papers—began her hoapital nursing career in the year 1873 at Birmingham. She was afterwards employed in the United Hospital at Bath, an institution I know very well as one of the finest hospitals of its day ; then she entered the public service, and went to the hospital at JSetley, a grand establichmentonSoutbampton Water devoted to the sick of the military service. After being there some two years she went to the Herbert Hospital at Woolwich. Daring that time she wss geleoted as one of the nurses, to tend the sick and wounded in the war in Zululand, and acquitted herself there in a manner which gained the praise of all concerned, from Queen downwards. She then returned to her former duties at the Herbert Hospital, but had not been there long bafore she was again selected to nnrse the siok and wounded in the Egyptian campaign, and was thero several months. Now, just imagine the difference to the patient in a military hospital being attended by snch nurses as Miss Crisp, and being waited* on, as formerly, merely by soldiers told off for the duty, and yon will - understand the difference in the state and condition of military hospitals before and after the present system of nursing waa instituted. X well know the history of the introduction of female nurses into military hospitals, for it was during the time I was in the War Office that the system was carried out. First, Florence Nightingale, whose name you all well know, was employed in the military hospital at Scutari, and from that' time the practice of employing female nurses in military hospitals has gradually gone on gaining ground. Not long after the Crimean War, when Netley Hospital was built, there was an organization of female nurßes under Miss Shaw"Stewart, a well known lady, the sister of a Scottish baronet, Sir Miohael Shaw Stewart, and she ' undertook the management of the - nurses at M etley Hospital. At that time thero was no special education given to the nurses in military hospitals, bat gradually it was found desirable to organise what I may call a corps of trained female nurses, and these are now employed in the Victoria Hospital of Netley, and the Herbert Hospital, -Woolwich, and 1 also in tending the sick and wounded in 1 military campaigns. Now, imagine .a woman—a young woman, too—imagine her 1 at Ismailia, where the dust and flies ' abounded in a manner that you in New Zea- | land have no idea of; where there were none of the comforts of life ; where she had to lie ! down on straw in a shod, just like any ; private soldier. . When you think of her I there in that position; hundreds of -wounded coming in after a battle—some with shattered limbs, and others bleeding

with horrible gashes 1 "When you think that no less than some 400 of these ° wounded were brought into this hospital at Ismailia, 1 think you must admit that it is to no common person thai: the duty of nursing them could be entrusted. (Ctieera.) Why, oven the sight of one of these wounds would be sufficient to ma&e most people shudder, and what must be the courage, what must be the devotion of a young woman who is able to nerve herself to the work of tending the sick and wounded under such circumstances. I think you will agree with me that Her Majesty has' done well in instituting the Order of the Red Cross, whereby those who perform such gallant service to their'country muy be decorated; acd I think yon will > also agree with me that Her Majesty did well in inviting to Windsor the ladies who had thus Bhawn their devotion,' and there herself, with her own hand, pinning the decorations upon their breasts ; and I can only regret that Miss Crisp, who was one of those who, had she been in England, would have gone down to Windsor and there had this deooration presented to' her by Her Majesty, will only have it pinned to her breast by Her Majesty's representative. (Cheers). I wish that Her-Majesty could have herself conferred this honour upon her. From all her career, from all you have heard, and, I venture to say, from all you will hear of her, I think the public of Auckland, and the people of New Zealand, are to be congratulated that they have amongst them one like Miss Crisp as superintendent of nurses of one of their hospitals. (Cheers.) She is oapable of larger things, but still she does her duty there in a manner which gives satisfaction to all, as she has' on all occasions previoualy, whatever may have been the degree or nature of the duty with whioh she has been entrusted. Ido not know, ladieß and gentlemen, that . I need say more, but 1 must add that I heartily wish Miss Crisp success in her career, and I now have the greatest pleasure in pinning' the Bed Cross upon her breast. (Loud cheers.) His Excellency then affixed the Red : Cross above the medals which Miss Crisp already wears, amidst .loud, cheers. Miss Crisp bowed to His Excellency, and then to the audience.

The . Governor, then (oh behalf of Misa : Crisp) returned thanks: for the manner in which those present had received her.

The ceremony being concluded, the company dispersed.

. The Koyal Red Cross consists of a oross, enamelled orimsoD, edged with gold, having on the arms thereof the-.'words Faith, Hope, and Charity, with'the date of the institution of the decoration; the centre having thereon the Queen's effigy.. On the reverse side the Koyal and. Imperial cipher and. crowri is shown in relief on the centre. The oross is attached to a dark-blue ribband, edged red, of one inoli in width, tied in a bow and worn on tho left shoulder.