THE LADY OF THE LAMP

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2994, 3 February 1917, Page 10

THE LADY OF THE LAMP

A MEMORY OP THE CRIMEA. An American doctor, who • has been working with the Belgian Bed Cross for the past two years, was recently interviewed by an English correspondent, and stated that the British Army Medical Service in the present war is' one of the greatest achievements of the age; in no other country, not even in Germany, is thero such a wonderful medical • organisation. Ho quoted cases where soldiers had been wounded ,in the frontline trenches at noon, and by ten o'clock on the same evening these soldiers-were, comfortably installed •in up-to-date hospitals in their own country.' What a- different picture this makes to the scenes of horror and suffering that were experienced during the Crimean War. In this campaign many more soldiers died i'rom' want of care and proper food and clothing than were killed by the enemy. But when conditions were ot their worst Florence Nightingale, whose name will be remembered so long as there is a British : Empire, .arrived with her small band of heroic women, and turned chaos into order.i Compare our brilliantly-lighted and scientific-ally-equipped base hospitals with the miserable hovels in which Florence Nightingale worked through that bitter Crimean winter, carrying her kerosene lamp, which was the only light available, and we can understand why "The Lady of the Lamp" has become a housebold phrase in. the. homes, not only of the British Empire, but of the whole world. ;

Electric light, which is used in all permanent hospitals, is, of course, only available under favourable conditions; but the New Zealand military authorities have recently tested a new lantern for emergency use, and have found it satisfactory in every way. This lantern, which is known as "The Wizard," is made on the same principle as the wellknown "Wizard Lighting Systems," it is self-contained, and can-be carried about the samaras an ordinary lantern. Tho report states: "The lamp (lantern) gives a steady white light sufficient to illuminate one marquee sufficiently. for.. the ordinary purposes of reading and writing. In the open the light covers an area of approximately 50 paces radius, showing up objects at that distance. At 10 paces the light is just clear enough to enable' pencil' writing to be read."

. . . "The lamp has been tested in the normal vertical position, has been knocked over, and entirely inverted. Lying on its side tho lamp continues to burn.' When inverted the light is extinguished."

. . . "The complete lamp is not affected by high wind, and without its 'glass' the mantle is not affected by moderate wind, and continues to give a steady light." . . . "The foregoing report is based upon results of actual tests. In comparison with kerosene (hurricane) lamps, the initial cost is high, but the oxpenso entailed in making good waste and breakage would be Tastly reduced, and the general question of lighting be brought to a much finer margin between cost and results. The 'Wizard', Lamp is, in my opinion, a Inmp of great utility and long service."

Hundreds of farmers in New Zealand are using "Wizard" lanterns for attending to stock at night, and doing nil sorts of outside work after dark. In the breeding season these lanterns are esneciallv valuable, and the agents, Messrs. Early 'Bros., 59 Cuba Street, Wellington, receive numerous letters of appreciation from the users of both "Wizard" Lanterns and "Wizard Lighting Systems." A postcard is all that is renuired to get further particulars.—(Published by arrangement.)