In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Key to Editing All the manuscript material in the Collected Works has been carefully transcribed and verified (see the electronic text for a full description of the process). Remaining illegible words and passages are so indicated, with [illeg] or [?] inserted to indicate our best reading of the word or words in question. Dates for material cited or reproduced are given wherever possible, in square brackets if they are estimates only (by an archivist, previous scholar or the editor ). Any controversy about date is indicated by a footnote. The type of material, whether a note, actual letter, draft or copy is given as precisely as possible. Designations of letter/draft/copy signify that the source was Nightingale’s own files, given to the British Library or to St Thomas’ Hospital and then the London Metropolitan Archives, and are probably drafts or copies kept by her. The designation of ‘‘letter’’ is used only when there is good reason to believe that it was actually sent and received (a postmarked envelope, for example, or the archive source being other than Nightingale’s own files). In some cases both the original letter is extant and Nightingale’s draft or copy, and these show that the copies she kept are reliable. In two cases we have reported both the actual letter sent and a draft or copy she kept so that a comparison can be made. We do not use the convention of als (autograph letter signed), but our ‘‘letter’’ is close to it, bearing in mind that Nightingale often used initials rather than her signature. The electronic I-text (that is, the transcriptions as ‘‘input,’’ before editing) gives full information on supporting material (envelopes, postmarks), whether in pen, pencil, dictated or typed. The practice was naturally to use the best source possible, the original letter where available. Where a draft or copy was also available this is noted. Sometimes the original was no longer available so that a typed or a published source copy had to be used. Postscripts that do not add new information, or are on another subject, are normally / 5 omitted, without . . . . Where only short excerpts from a letter are used (because the rest is on another subject) these are indicated as ‘‘From a letter’’ and the address and ellipses at the beginning and end are omitted. All sources indicated as ‘‘Add Mss’’ (Additional Manuscripts) are British Library, the largest source of Nightingale material. The Wellcome Trust History of Medicine Library is abbreviated ‘‘Wellcome.’’ Most of those materials are copies of correspondence at Claydon House, indicated as (Claydon copy). If not so indicated they are originals . To avoid use of ‘‘ibid.’’ and ‘‘op. cit.,’’ and to reduce the number of footnotes generally, citations are given at the end of a sequence, if the same source is cited more than once. Subsequent citations are noted in the text with the new page or folio number given in parentheses. The term ‘‘folio’’ (abbreviated as f, or ff in the plural) is used for reference to manuscript pages, p and pp for printed pages, where needed, or page numbers are given after the date or volume number without p or pp. To make the text as accessible as possible spelling, punctuation and capitalization have been modernized and standardized, and most abbreviations replaced with full words. Roman numerals are replaced with Arabic (except for royalty, popes and the citation of classical texts). We have left Nightingale’s use of masculine generics as they are, hence ‘‘man,’’ ‘‘men,’’ ‘‘he,’’ etc., referring to human beings generally . Some, but not all, excessive ‘‘ands,’’ ‘‘buts’’ and ‘‘the’s’’ have been excised. Nightingale’s ‘‘Esq.’’ titles for men have been omitted. Any words the editor has added to make sense (usually in the case of rough notes or faint writing) are indicated in square brackets. British spellings have generally been maintained (honour, labour) and standardized (Nightingale was inconsistent). Exceptions are the North American ‘‘jail’’ and ‘‘program.’’ Modern spellings have been used for Muhammad, Buddha and Hindu (in place of Mahomet, Bouddha and Hindoo). We have kept her old-fashioned ‘‘farther,’’ ‘‘by-the-bye.’’ Italics are used to indicate underlining and small capitals for double (or more) underlining. All indications of emphasis in texts are Nightingale’s (or that of her correspondent or source), never the editor ’s. Any use of (sic) also is Nightingale’s, never the editor’s. When taking excerpts from written material Nightingale indicated ellipses with x x and we have kept these. Ellipses for editorial purposes...

Share