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Diagram of the Causes of Mortality in the Army in the East

Florence Nightingale · 1858

Nightingale's 1858 polar area diagram, nicknamed the 'coxcomb', showing that disease killed far more soldiers in the Crimean War than wounds did.

She created this diagram to use statistics as evidence for reforming army health, a defining act of her career.

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Polar area diagram titled 'Diagram of the Causes of Mortality in the Army in the East' with two rose charts of blue, red, and black wedges for April 1854 to March 1856, with explanatory notes below.
Florence Nightingale, Diagram of the Causes of Mortality in the Army in the East, 1858.

About this source

What it is

A statistical diagram made by Florence Nightingale in 1858, using two circular charts divided into coloured wedges to show monthly deaths among British troops in the Crimean War. It was published in a report on army health and sent to Queen Victoria.

Why it matters

The blue wedges, representing deaths from preventable disease, dominate the chart compared to the red wedges for deaths from wounds. Nightingale used this visual argument to persuade officials and the Queen that poor sanitation, not combat, was the army's biggest killer. It shows her skill as a statistician and her determination to use evidence to drive reform of army medical care.

Look closer

  • Why might a picture convince people more quickly than a table of numbers?
  • What story do the colours tell about why soldiers were dying?
  • Who was the intended audience for this diagram, and why did that matter?

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