To show the importance of an Institute for Nurses, it must be stated
that 25,466 were returned, at the census of 1851, as nurses by
profession, exclusive of 39,139 nurses in domestic service,[24] and
2,882 midwives. The numbers of different ages are shown in table A, and
in table B their distribution over Great Britain.
To increase the efficiency of this class, and to make as many of them
as possible the disciples of the true doctrines of health, would be a
great national work.