The head of all the nurses

The chaos and disruption of warfare makes exceedingly heavy demands on those responsible for organizing hospital care for the wounded. A most unlikely context in which to find a nurse worthy to be regarded as following in the tradition of Florence Nightingale is General Franco's victorious Nationalist army in the Spanish Civil War. The name of Mercedes Mil Nolla is unknown outside Spain and no longer well-known in her own country, but her contributions to hospital design, administration and nurse training were considerable, particularly considering the perils which she personally had to overcome in the turmoil of that dreadful conflict. Unlike Florence Nightingale, she has left nothing in the way of written work, but her life was almost as extraordinary, and lived in equally extraordinary times. Possibly a little severe in character, she nevertheless professed an admirably humane attitude to military medical care.