Page:A short history of nursing - Lavinia L Dock (1920).djvu/306

290 290 A Short History of Nursing not only the Sisterhoods, but the secular adminis- trations, and the medical hierarchy as well. In the course of preparing this thesis she went to England and studied English nursing. It seems the greatest pity, as things have turned out that she was refused opportunity to do this at St. Thomas's and that she never met Miss Nightin- gale. Isla Stewart opened the doors of St. Bar- tholomew's to her, and she was finally able to explain, in her thesis, the English system as the model system. When Dr. Hamilton later took the post of superintendent and resident physician in the Protestant hospital of Bordeaux (Maison de Sante Protestante), a foundation not under city administration, but supported by voluntary sub- scription, she called an English nurse, Catherine Elston, to direct and develop the training school for nurses. Miss Elston, who was as much French as English, was adapted perfectly to her task. She remained for some years at the Maison de Sante, until she had trained women who were wholly qualified, to succeed her. She then went at the request of the Mayor of Bordeaux, Dr. Lande, successively to two large hospitals under city con- trol, to reorganize the nursing there. At the Tondu she remained until a model school was well de- veloped, and then went to Algeria, Meantime Dr.