A SUMMONS TO STAFFORD HOUSE.
Stafford House--A distinguished circle--The plan detailed--Its
practicability admitted--Home again--Another summons--The War
Office--An appointment made--Second interview with the Duchess of
Sutherland--Samples of hospital diets--Question of seasoning--New
system.
At ten minutes to two I entered the superb portico of Stafford House,
and was shown to the ground-floor library by the Duke’s piper, young
Mackenzie. “Her Grace will be with you presently,” said he. “Walk in,
sir, and I will apprise the Duchess of your arrival; who, I am aware, is
anxious to see you.”
I thanked him for his politeness, and he left me alone. I had scarcely
time to cast a glance of admiration upon one of the _chefs-d’œuvre_
of Landseer, representing the juvenile Stafford family, when her Grace
entered, followed by the Duke and Duchess of Argyle, the Marquis and
Marchioness of Stafford, the Marquis of Kildare, Lord and Lady Blantyre,
her brother, and the children--about eighteen in number--Lady Grosvenor,
and others. The Duchess of Sutherland introduced me to the noble circle,
and requested all to be seated, which request was at once complied with;
and her Grace addressed me in these terms:--“Monsieur Soyer, we have
read with deep interest your letter which has appeared in the _Times_,
and I cannot but express my admiration of your noble devotion when any
good can be effected, or the position of the suffering be relieved or
ameliorated by your assistance. The results of your interference would
be very important--and especially at the present time--in our hospitals
at Scutari, and in the Crimea, where, in consequence of such unexpected
calamities, all is in the greatest confusion. I shall also observe to
you, that I am well aware this offer is not your _premier coup d’essai_,
or first trial. But I should advise you to consider the matter well, in
case the Government accept your services. Judging from the tenor of the
letters I receive daily from various departments at Scutari, I can
perceive great difficulties, of which you are perhaps not aware.”
“Your Grace,” I replied, “is extremely kind to initiate me into the true
position of the case; and first of all, I beg to observe that, were
there no great difficulties to surmount, I should not have offered my
services. But will you permit me to set forth, in a few words, the plan
I propose adopting if Government should honour me with their
confidence?”
“Pray do,” exclaimed several of the circle, especially the Duke of
Argyle, close to whom I was seated. Looking at his watch, and addressing
me, the Duke continued, “Pray, Mr. Soyer, give me a slight conception of
your project, as I have only a few minutes to stay. The Council of the
Ministry, of which I am a member, meet in about an hour, and I must be
there. I should be very glad to submit your plans to them; it might
greatly tend to their adoption.”
“Very true; your Grace shall judge if they are practicable or not. First
of all, I should beg the entire confidence of the Government relative to
my actions concerning the culinary department of the hospitals--that is,
that they should grant me the power of obtaining the necessary articles
of food already in the hospitals, and other things which might require
to be purchased by either the commissariat or purveyor’s department,
without the slightest delay, as the want of such power would tend to
certain failure--which I wish to avoid; while the possession of their
confidence will ensure success. I will then pledge my word to do
everything in my power, and with the greatest economy, and, if possible,
with the same quantity of provisions as at present allowed by
Government, or even less, which would be a source of high gratification
to me; and I sincerely hope to be able to do so after the inquiries I
made this morning, previous to attending your Grace’s appointment; for I
perceive, in many instances, that too much is given of one thing, and
not enough of another. Having, therefore, the power to vary the
ingredients and quantity, as well as to change inferior provisions for
better, when possible, will greatly assist me in my undertaking.”
“I have no doubt,” said her Grace, “that what you request will be
granted without the least hesitation.”
“My plan would also be, never to act without the sanction of the
doctor-in-chief respecting the diets I mean to introduce; and I would
not interfere in the slightest degree with any former department, or
displace a man from his duty except for incapacity, insubordination, or
bad conduct; for believe me, if I am sent to Scutari, I go with the
intention of doing all the good I can, and simplifying my difficult
undertaking in such a manner as to ensure success. I should also claim
the power of being able to condemn inferior provisions, and to
substitute better, always without deviating from any army contract which
has been, or may be, made by the Government, as I do not mean to hold
myself responsible for the purchase of any provisions or stores, but
merely to give my approval or disapproval of them. Upon my arrival at
Scutari, I propose at once to take two hundred patients, and diet them
for a week or more, according to the doctor’s approbation, and then
gradually increase the number, till I have the whole under my direction,
if approved of by the chief medical officer. Such is the plan I propose
adopting, and I shall beg your Grace to give me your opinion upon it.”
“The way you intend carrying out your plan seems very practicable.”
“Well,” said the Duke, addressing the Duchess of Sutherland, “you must
excuse me leaving now, as I have but a short time to get to
Downing-street. Mr. Soyer, I shall have much pleasure in submitting your
plan to the Ministerial Council, and will report progress.”
After the Duke’s departure, a general conversation was opened upon the
subject, and having exchanged a few words with Lord and Lady Blantyre
and the Duchess of Sutherland, who kindly promised to acquaint me with
the result, I withdrew, and left Stafford House. No sooner home, having
obtained the correct ration-scale of provisions from Dr. Andrews’s
office, than I formed a very fair idea of what I could do for the best.
The next morning, February 11th, about ten o’clock, I received the
following communication from her Grace:
The Duchess of Sutherland has just seen his Grace the Duke of
Argyle, who has spoken to Lord Panmure upon the subject of Mr.
Soyer’s offer. I think Lord Panmure is willing to forward the
humane and practical views of Mr. Soyer, and will see Mr. Soyer at
the War Office to-morrow.
The Duchess wishes to have the pleasure of seeing Monsieur Soyer
after his visit to Lord Panmure.
Upon receipt of this letter I immediately went, as desired, to the War
Department to see Lord Panmure’s private secretary, Mr. Ramsay, and
inquire when and where I could see his lordship. The hearty reception I
met with from that gentleman was a most favourable augur, and encouraged
me to persist in the very precarious undertaking in which I was about to
engage, although many friends and near relations strongly tried to
prevent me from pursuing it, placing constantly before my eyes the most
sinister pictures, which, I am proud to say, never for a moment altered
my mind. Having but one object in view, I was determined to see only the
best side of the medal, and chance the rest.
Mr. Ramsay having arranged my interview with Lord Panmure for the next
morning, I then retired, thanking him much for his very kind and
courteous reception. I went home to test a few samples of diets and
aliments I had prepared from the soldiers’ rations; placing the whole of
them in small vases, well packed, I sent them to Stafford House, there
to remain till my arrival. In about an hour I had a second interview
with the Duchess of Sutherland and a number of her noble family. After
speaking of my visit to the War Office, and my appointment with his
lordship for the morning,
“Lord Blantyre,” the Duchess said, “has some business at the War
Department to-day, and I shall trouble his lordship to remit another
letter from me on the subject to Lord Panmure, who has, at the present
time, so much to do that it is likely your interview might be postponed
for another day.”
“I can assure your Grace that the extreme interest you take in my behalf
appears to me a good omen, assuring me of success, in case I should be
sent to the seat of war. I would also observe that, being well aware of
the value of Lord Panmure’s time, in a few minutes I shall be able to
unfold my plan, and he will no doubt at once perceive whether it is
practicable or not, and will give me a decided answer; therefore, to
lose time, on either side, would be impolitic. But, before I leave, will
your Grace honour me by inspecting a few samples of hospital diets which
I have prepared as a test, from the rations as at present given to the
soldiers? They will form part of my new system, if approved by the
medical officers.”
“Have you some here, Mr. Soyer?”
“Yes, your Grace, I have; one of the footmen has taken charge of them
till required.”
The order having been given, a footman entered with the samples on a
plateau, with spoons, &c., which were tasted by the select and noble
party, who at once pronounced them very palatable, and to which I
remarked, that through the nature of the ingredients they could not fail
to be nutritious and light.
“It is to be regretted,” I said, “that the cooks in many hospitals are
not allowed to put the seasoning in the savoury diets, which restriction
will invariably produce very unsatisfactory results. I will here repeat
the saying of Hippocrates:--‘What pleases the palate nourishes.’ If this
great man has said so, it is a pity that some of his modern disciples
have altered or deviated from such an ancient and just maxim, for I will
vouch that a diet properly seasoned is far more generous and
invigorating to the patient than the unpalatable food prepared without
anything of the sort; at the same time many maladies will require
various degrees of seasoning, as too much in some cases would prove
equally if not more injurious than the want of it in others. This point
must be left to the doctor’s discretion. I am also aware that in some
hospitals salt and pepper are allowed, and, I may say, too abundantly;
and each patient is permitted to season his food, not according to his
taste, but his judgment: this is another evil, as he is or may be at the
time entirely deprived of either taste or judgment. These remarks will
be the first I shall submit to the notice of the principal doctor, and I
am morally certain he will agree with me as soon as they are properly
explained.”
“A most important observation,” said the Duchess; “for, even when in the
enjoyment of good health, what is more disagreeable than an insipid
dish?”
“I have always, madame, maintained that the cook must season for guests
or patients, and not these for the cook.”
“In fact,” said I to the Marquis of Stafford, who had tasted several of
the samples, “does not your lordship opine that salt and pepper should
be almost excluded from the ward, and that the cook should be as
responsible for seasoning the food as the apothecary is for making up
the doctor’s prescription correctly?”
“Certainly; but can you persuade them to do so?”
“Very easily; by my system of diet, every recipe will be printed,
framed, and hung up in the kitchen, so that any person, even a soldier
(provided he can read), will be capable of executing them well, as each
receipt will be comprised in a few lines.”
“Ah! that will, indeed, be most valuable, and readily applied in every
hospital.”
During this conversation, the Duchess of Sutherland and the Marquis of
Stafford had tasted another kind of food which I had made for the camp.
It was prepared from peas-meal, in which I had introduced a due
proportion of salt and pepper,--called “Symon’s ground baked
peas-meal,”--and by pouring a pint of boiling water upon a good
table-spoonful of it, made a most excellent and thick purée of peas
quite hot. I one day, as a trial, ate nothing but that and a biscuit,
and did not feel the least inclined for anything else. I do not mean to
imply that such fare would do for a continuance, but when nothing else
could be obtained, it certainly would be a great comfort for the troops
to get a hot meal, made in a few minutes, and without trouble. All
present tasted this, and expressed themselves very favourably about it.
Having also left some samples of coffee, I was retiring, when the
Duchess of Sutherland kindly reminded me that she should be happy to see
me the morning after my interview with the Minister-at-War. Of course I
should not have failed in presenting myself, even without this kind
invitation.