Book Review: Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands

In March 1857 Victorian London, a broke, but-far-from-broken Mary Seacole set-about the task of writing her autobiography; Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands.

This is a highly readable book which really comes to life in chapter 2 where Seacole describes her efforts, during her mid-forties, to run a store and guesthouse with her brother on the gold-trail along the panama canal.  The dirty hammocks, the damp floors, the california-gold-hunters-wives-clothed-in-the-same-flannel-shirts-as-their-husbands, the shouting and quarrelling of the hungry travellers, the lawlessness and the sunken-eyes of the cholera-afflicted are vividly brought to life. 

Of particular interest to the medically minded is Seacole's account of a Panama Cholera outbreak, its ghastly affect on people and her efforts to nurse its victims back to health. Her treatment for cholera promoted purging of the gastro-intestinal tract via the administration of mustard emetics and calomel enemas.  She treated the accompanying pain with 'sugar of lead' (a sedative she preferred over opium) and oil, camphor and 'spirits of wine' body rubs.  She promoted rehydration and nutrition through the provision of cinnamon water and porridge – which was particularly important because Cholera often results in lethal dehydration.
 

The majority of the book is dedicated to an equally vivid account of her Crimean exploits. Upon learning of the outbreak of war, the 50 year-old Seacole felt compelled to travel to Crimea and nurse the soldiers that she first cared for whilst they were stationed in Jamaica. 

 

First she travelled to London and made strenous efforts to join Florence Nightingales' group of nurses who were stationed in the Scutari barracks.  Despite her 30+ years of experience nursing British soldiers and dealing with epidemics in less-economically developed countries, she was turned down. So she drew on panama business experience and resorted to plan B, which involved her setting up a shop and guesthouse directly behind the battle lines in Crimea; the British Hotel.

A private letter by Florence Nightingale, notes that she went to considerable lengths to prevent Mary Seacole from joining her nursing team in the Turkish Barracks in Scutari, which was located in Constantinople (now Istanbul) in Turkey.  No clear reason is offered by Nightingale for this decision but it is clear that the 'lady with the lamp' disapproved of Mary Seacoles subsequent activities and did not want her, or her nursing team to be associated with her.  

At the time, Nightingale was pioneering the modern approach to nursing in the Scutari's Barracks hospital, which featured a small number of trained nurses applying a systematic, disciplined approach to nursing care.  Seacole was not alone in being declined a job offer, many other applicants were rejected and a number of her recruits were sent back to Britain for not meeting her exacting standards.  

Nightingale's approach to nursing contrasted greatly with Seacole's traditional, intuitive and highly independent approach, so it was perhaps best that the two did not work together - conflict between the two would of been highly likely.  They did however meet when Seacole spent one night in the Barracks hospital on her way to the front – Nightingale provided her with the hospitals washerwoman's bed.

How radical was Mary Seacole? As a highly independent business woman and warzone nurse, Seacole's activities, whether intentionally or not, must have presented an ongoing challenge to the patriarchy of the time.  Sexism was rife and opportunities for enterprising, industrious women were scarce, however there is no mention of sexism in her account. 

In contrast there are a number of accounts of  racism.  Seacole appears to have minimised its effects on her life through use of her quick wit, her highly in-demand nursing skills, her extensive social networks, her entrepreneurship and her championing of British imperialism and particularly Britain's army.  

Perhaps because of the social norms of the time and her upbringing as the relatively well-off daughter of a scottish army officer and creole nurse, Seacole did not hold anti-war or anti-imperial views for much of her life.  However, her comitment to the Britain and it empire seemed to certainly wane after Crimea as she particpated in at least one protest, in October 1865, against post-emancipation inequalities in Jamaica -  the governor of Jamaica's brutal response was to hang the two leaders of the protests.

Wonderful Adventures leaves the reader with a great sense of Seacole's immense ability to befriend people, and to help them meet their physical and mental healthcare needs.  As well as highlighting her irrepressible spirit of adventure, this autobiography is also a great testament to her determination and popularity:  The second edition of her autobiography was published one year after the first; her activities often featured in The Times, Punch and other newspapers of the time; and a number of benefit concerts were organised to raise funds for her in her old age.

Mary Seacole (2005) Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands. London: Penguin Classics – This is the edition of her autobiography that I read and it featured a very insightful introduction and footnotes which put the life and action of Mary Seacole into context.