Page:A short history of nursing - Lavinia L Dock (1920).djvu/287

271 Nursing in other Countries 271 nurse must be ready for unlimited hours of work. Nevertheless, as a part of the vast movement of labour, this innovation is now widely demanded in other countries as a relief from useless overstrain. A Nursing Reserve for army service was organized in 19 10. Both New Zealand and AustraHa made important war nursing history, and have interest- ing experiences with military rank which will be touched upon in a later paragraph. The earliest measure of registration and licensing for nurses was shown by South Africa. It was, however, not given by a separate meas- TVT r7 ^, , , South Africa ure, as m New Zealand, but by a section of the Medical and Pharmacy Act of 1891. The credit for it belongs to English nurses living in the colony, led by Sister Henrietta (Miss Stock- dale) of Kimberley. When they learned that a medical act was before the Cape Parliament they petitioned successfully for a clause placing nurses on the state register. Sister Henrietta was a wo- man of fine culture and seriousness of character. Her personality made a deep impression on nurses, when, at international meetings in England in 1899, she told of the steps by which they had gained what was then so great a novelty, the first state recognition of the profession of nursing. The act was elementary as regarded nurses, but