First published in 1999, this rewarding volume offers a close and systematic analysis of the General Infirmary at Bath, which was founded in 1739 to grant 'lepers and cripples, and other indigent strangers' access to the spa waters. Four main themes are pursued in order to locate the hospital within its economic, socio-cultural and political contexts: arrangements for management and finance under the conditions of a prospering commercial economy; the rewards and restrictions experienced by the physicians and surgeons who donated their professional services free of charge; and the constructions of an integrated social and political elite around the physical and moral rehabilitation of the sick poor. In this way, the example of Bath - a stylish resort whose visitors and residents exemplified the dynamic of fashionable philanthropy - is used to open up issues of significance to our understanding of Georgian Britain as a whole.

This volume of essays attempts to identify the shared experiences of disabled children and examine the key debates about their care and control. The essays follow a chronological progression while focusing on the practices in a number of different countries.

This volume of essays explores the varied, but distinctive, experiences of disabled children. The authors start from the premise that the care, and control, of such individuals was historically governed by factors that differentiated their experiences from those of 'normal' children and 'disabled' adults.

First published in 1999, this rewarding volume offers a close and systematic analysis of the General Infirmary at Bath, which was founded in 1739 to grant 'lepers and cripples, and other indigent strangers' access to the spa waters. Four main themes are pursued in order to locate the hospital within its economic, socio-cultural and political contexts: arrangements for management and finance under the conditions of a prospering commercial economy; the rewards and restrictions experienced by the physicians and surgeons who donated their professional services free of charge; and the constructions of an integrated social and political elite around the physical and moral rehabilitation of the sick poor. In this way, the example of Bath - a stylish resort whose visitors and residents exemplified the dynamic of fashionable philanthropy - is used to open up issues of significance to our understanding of Georgian Britain as a whole.

The history of the voluntary sector in British towns and cities has received increasing scholarly attention in recent years. Nevertheless, whilst there have been a number of valuable contributions looking at issues such as charity as a key welfare provider, charity and medicine, and charity and power in the community, there has been no book length exploration of the role and position of the recipient. By focusing on the recipients of charity, rather than the donors or institutions, this volume tackles searching questions of social control and cohesion, and the relationship between providers and recipients in a new and revealing manner. It is shown how these issues changed over the course of the nineteenth century, as the frontier between the state and the voluntary sector shifted away from charity towards greater reliance on public finance, workers' contributions, and mutual aid. In turn, these new sources of assistance enriched civil society, encouraging democratization, empowerment and social inclusion for previously marginalized members of the community. The book opens with an introduction that locates medicine, charity and mutual aid within their broad historiographical and urban contexts. Twelve archive-based, inter-related chapters follow. Their main chronological focus is the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which witnessed such momentous changes in the attitudes to, and allocation of, charity and poor relief. However, individual chapters on the early modern period, the eighteenth century and the aftermath of the Second World War provide illuminating context and help ensure that the volume provides a systematic overview of the subject that will be of interest to social, urban, and medical historians.

The history of the voluntary sector in British towns and cities has received increasing scholarly attention in recent years. Nevertheless, whilst there have been a number of valuable contributions looking at issues such as charity as a key welfare provider, charity and medicine, and charity and power in the community, there has been no book length exploration of the role and position of the recipient. By focusing on the recipients of charity, rather than the donors or institutions, this volume tackles searching questions of social control and cohesion, and the relationship between providers and recipients in a new and revealing manner. It is shown how these issues changed over the course of the nineteenth century, as the frontier between the state and the voluntary sector shifted away from charity towards greater reliance on public finance, workers' contributions, and mutual aid. In turn, these new sources of assistance enriched civil society, encouraging democratization, empowerment and social inclusion for previously marginalized members of the community. The book opens with an introduction that locates medicine, charity and mutual aid within their broad historiographical and urban contexts. Twelve archive-based, inter-related chapters follow. Their main chronological focus is the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which witnessed such momentous changes in the attitudes to, and allocation of, charity and poor relief. However, individual chapters on the early modern period, the eighteenth century and the aftermath of the Second World War provide illuminating context and help ensure that the volume provides a systematic overview of the subject that will be of interest to social, urban, and medical historians.

"The South Wales Coalfield Collection" (SWCC) is one of the largest archives of its kind in the UK and of international importance. This unique asset, however, has been under-used as a tool for medical history because, although the Collection has been catalogued, medical records are often 'hidden' and difficult to locate. "Medical Records for the South Wales Coalfield" is designed to make items of medical significance more accessible. Based on a screening of the Collection funded by a Welcome Trust Research Resources in Medical History Award, the volume will be a popular with academic researchers seeking to define viable projects and focus their efforts more effectively; teachers and lecturers wishing to put the SWCC to educational use and members of the general public interested in the medical and healthcare heritage of the Coalfield.