Workhouse Nursing


Book Description

Reproduction of the original: Workhouse Nursing by William Rathbone




Workhouse Nursing


Book Description

At the heart of 'Workhouse Nursing' lies a profound exploration of the intersection between medical care, societal attitudes towards poverty, and the pioneering efforts to reform healthcare practices within the workhouses of the 19th century. This anthology brings together seminal texts that showcase a range of literary styles, from firsthand accounts to impassioned arguments for reform, encapsulating the varied responses to the healthcare crises of the era. The collection stands as a testament to the enduring relevance of these issues, highlighting both the individual and collective endeavors to bring dignity and compassion to the fore of workhouse healthcare. The contributions of Florence Nightingale and William Rathbone are pivotal, not only in their individual capacities as reformers but also as representatives of broader cultural and humanitarian movements. Nightingales legacy as the mother of modern nursing and Rathbones philanthropic endeavors provide a compelling backdrop to the anthology, situating it within the larger currents of social reform and the evolution of nursing as a profession. This collection is thus enriched by the authors' diverse yet complementary perspectives, offering an insightful historical record of the challenges and triumphs faced in the field of nursing and healthcare. 'Workhouse Nursing' is an essential read for those interested in the history of social reform, nursing, and the intersection of healthcare and societal development. By delving into this collection, readers are offered a unique chance to explore the depth and breadth of early efforts to improve the conditions of the less fortunate, through a lens that combines historical detail with humanitarian passion. It encourages a deeper understanding and appreciation of the complexities involved in healthcare reform, and the role of empathy and dedication in driving change.




Workhouse Nursing: The Story of a Successful Experiment


Book Description

The following pages contain a brief account of the experiment successfully tried by the Select Vestry of Liverpool (the guardians of the poor)—the introduction of trained Nurses into the male wards of the Workhouse Infirmary. That experiment having resulted so successfully as to induce the Vestry to extend the system to the remainder of the infirmary, it may be interesting to those who are concerned in the management of workhouses elsewhere to learn something of its history and progress. It is the writer’s object to explain— 1. The grounds on which the Vestry were led to undertake the experiment, as stated in the preliminary report of Mr. Carr, the governor, and that of the sub-committee of the Vestry appointed to consider the proposed scheme; and the replies received to inquiries addressed by them to institutions and persons connected with the training and employment of skilled nurses in London and Liverpool, with letters on the subject from Miss Nightingale and Sir John McNeill. 2. The results of the experiment, so far as hitherto ascertained. The Liverpool Vestry had previously made considerable efforts to improve the workhouse infirmaries. The medical men had been encouraged to make requisition for every material appliance that could facilitate the cure of the sick; and paid female officers were appointed at the rate of one to each 150 or 200 beds, to superintend the giving of medicines and stimulants, and so forth: but of course so small a number, even had they been trained nurses, could do no real nursing, and could exercise little supervision over the twenty drunken or unreliabl pauper nurses who were under the nominal direction of each paid officer. An appeal was made to the Vestry to consummate the good work they had thus partially commenced, and it was urged that Liverpool should assume the lead in the task of workhouse reform.







The Workhouse


Book Description

The stories of those who lived in the shadow of the workhouse'??During the nineteenth century the workhouse cast a shadow over the lives of the poor. The destitute and the desperate sought refuge within its forbidding walls. And it was an ever-present threat if poor families failed to look after themselves properly. As a result a grim mythology has grown up about the horrors of the 'house' and the mistreatment meted out to the innocent pauper. ??In this fully-updated and revised edition of his bestselling book, Simon Fowler takes a fresh look at the workhouse and the people who sought help from it. He looks at how the system of the Poor Law _ of which the workhouse was a key part _ was organised and the men and women who ran the workhouses or were employed to care for the inmates.??But above all this is the moving story of the tens of thousands of children, men, women and the elderly who were forced to endure grim conditions to survive in an unfeeling world.??'A poignant account ... draws powerfully on letters from The National Archives ... [Simon Fowler] brings out the horror, but it is fair-minded to those struggling to be humane within an inhumane system,' The Independent??'A good introduction,' The Guardian.??The history of workhouses and poverty ('misery history') has recently been prominently covered on TV shows like WDYTYA? and ITV's Secrets from the Workhouse, and referenced in historical dramas like The Village and Ripper Street.




Sickness in the Workhouse


Book Description

Sickness in the Workhouse illuminates the role of workhouse medicine in caring for England's poor, bringing sick paupers from the margins of society and placing them centre stage.




Workhouse Encyclopedia


Book Description

This fascinating, fully illustrated volume is the definitive guide to every aspect of workhouse life. Compiled by Peter Higginbotham, one of Britain's foremost experts on the subject, it covers everything from the 1725 publication An Account of Several Workhouses to the South African Zulu admitted to Fulham Road Workhouse in 1880. With hundreds of fascinating anecdotes, plus priceless information for researchers including workhouse addresses, useful websites and archive repository details, maps, plans, original workhouse publications and an extensive bibliography, it will delight family historians and general readers alike.




The Workhouse System 1834-1929


Book Description

First published in 1981. Professor Crowther traces the history of the workhouse system from the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 to the Local Government Act of 1929. At their outset the large residential institutions were seen by the Poor Law Commissioners as a cure for nearly all social ills. In fact these formidable, impersonal, prison-like buildings – housing all paupers under one roof – became institutionalised: places where routine came to be an end in itself. In the early twentieth century some of the workhouses became hospitals or homes for the old or handicapped but many continued to form a residual service for those who needed long-term care. Crowther pays attention not only to the administrators but also to the inmates and their daily life. She illustrates that the workhouse system was not simply a nineteenth-century phenomenon but a forerunner of many of today’s social institutions.




Florence Nightingale on Public Health Care


Book Description

This sixth volume in the Collected Works of Florence Nightingale reports Nightingale’s considerable accomplishments in the development of a public health care system based on health promotion and disease prevention. It follows directly from her understanding of social science and broader social reform activities, which were related in Society and Politics (Volume 5). Public Health Care includes a critical edition of Notes on Nursing for the Labouring Classes, papers on mortality in aboriginal schools and hospitals, and on rural health. It reports much unknown material on Nightingale’s signal contribution of bringing professional nursing into the dreaded workhouse infirmaries. This collection presents letters and notes on a wide range of issues from specific diseases to germ theory, and relates some of her own extensive work as a nurse practitioner, which included organizing referrals to doctors and providing related care. Currently, Volumes 1 to 11 are available in e-book version by subscription or from university and college libraries through the following vendors: Canadian Electronic Library, Ebrary, MyiLibrary, and Netlibrary.




Medicine and the Workhouse


Book Description

This text examines the history of the medical services provided by workhouses, both in Britain and its former colonies, during the 18th and 19th centuries.