Note 15 — Subsidiary Notes as to the Introduction of Female Nursing into Military Hospitals in Peace and in War.

The floors are of deal; the length and breadth of the boards depending on circumstances. Wood skirtings run round the walls, following the recesses of the window and doors, 2½ in. in height and 1½ in. in thickness. The skirtings should have no indents in them, which form convenient lodgments for dust and take time to clean. A little rim must run round the top of the skirting, edging the wall. The skirting should thence descend, unindented, upon the floor. The boards are coloured and prepared, as follows: A new floor is rubbed over two or three times, with warm linseed-oil varnish, having some fine yellow-ochre, powdered, in it; then a coat of “laque-lustre,” a species of French polish, is laid over it, the result being a reddish-yellow colour, in which the grain and veining of the wood is shown. If, after being used some time, it begins to look worn, it is rubbed over with oil and a new coat of polish laid on it; but, as this takes a long time to dry, it is usual to fill up the worst parts with thin oil-colour, and then to take the yellow polish and lay it on, in two successive coats, leaving it to dry, if possible, for twenty-four hours, as it wears the better the firmer and drier it is. For old boards, that have been much used, considerably more laque-lustre is required than for new ones.