Nursing textbooks for a centuty reflect thi Nightingale tradition. Matrons, tutors and ward sisters constantly reiterated the same message, even as their books changed through editions to recognise scientific advances: the ethical basis of nursing arises from the moral character of the nurse and the moral ethos in which she, and later also he, was trained and worked. This was the framework on which rested technical knowledge and skills, powers of observation, attention to the intimate practical details of personal hygiene and comfort. Order, structure, diligence, supervision and method were crucial. Character formed the kindness of the nurse's manner and approach towards the patient