The symptoms or the sufferings generally considered to be inevitable and incident to the disease are very often not symptoms of the disease at all, but of something quite different-of the want of fresh air, or of light, or of warmth, or of quiet, or of cleanliness, or of punctuality and care in the administration of diet, of each or of all of these.

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People talk about imitating Christ, and imitate Him in the little trifling formal things, such as washing the feet, saying His prayer, and so on; but if anyone attempts the real imitation of Him, there are no bounds to the outcry with which the presumption of that person is condemned.

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Nursing is one of the Fine Arts: I had almost said, the finest of Fine Arts.

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Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses....we must be learning all of our lives.

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Jesus Christ raised women above the condition of mere slaves, mere ministers to the passions of the man, raised them by His sympathy, to be Ministers of God.

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Never underestimate the healing effects of beauty.

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I think one's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results.

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Apprehension, uncertainty, waiting, expectation, fear of surprise, do a patient more harm than any exertion.

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Were there none who were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach anything better.

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Hospitals are only an intermediate stage of civilization, never intended ... to take in the whole sick population. May we hope that the day will come ... when every poor sick person will have the opportunity of a share in a district sick-nurse at home.

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