Livingstone's Hospital

Book excerpt: Scottish medical missionary-explorer David Livingstone wandered off course in his search for the source of the Nile and died from blood loss in May 1873 in a remote corner of north-eastern Zambia. His heart was buried under a tree in Chief Chitambo's village and his mummified body was carried back to the coast by some of his loyal companions. His remains were returned by sea to Britain and he was given a hero's burial at Westminster Abbey on the 18th. April 1874 Chitambo Hospital was built in memory of Livingstone over a hundred years ago, by his nephew, Malcolm Moffat. Two of Livingstone's grand-children worked there and his youngest daughter, Anna made a pilgrimage to the spot in 1915. Generations of nurses and doctors followed in Livingstone's footsteps and gave of themselves to keep the hospital running. Livingstone's Hospital sets out to tell the story of a vibrant and living memorial to one of history's poorly-understood heroes.