Justice to the Maimed Soldier: Nursing, Medical Care and Welfare for Sick and Wounded Soldiers and Their Families During the English Civil Wars and I

ISBN-13: 9780754604761 / Angielski / Twarda / 2001 / 300 str.

Eric Gruber von Arni

Opis

In the popular imagination, the notion of military medicine prior to the twentieth century is dominated by images of brutal ignorance, superstition and indifference. In an age before the introduction of anaesthetics, antibiotics and the sterilisation of instruments, it is perhaps unsurprising that such a stereotyped view has developed, but to what degree is it correct? Whilst it is undoubtedly true that by modern standards, the medical care provided in previous centuries was crude and parochial, it would be wrong to think that serious attempts were not made by national bodies to provide care for those injured in the military conflicts of the past. In this ground breaking study, it is argued that both sides involved in the civil wars that ravaged the British Isles during the mid seventeenth century made concerted efforts to provide medical care for their sick and wounded troops. Through the use of extensive archival sources, Dr Gruber von Arni has pieced together the history of the welfare provided by both Parliamentarian and Royalist causes, and analyses the effectiveness of the systems they set up.

Recenzje

'This book has filled a long empty void in the history of nursing and medical care of the British Army and will long stand as the authoritative work on the subject.' The Gazette, Journal of the RAMC 'It is rare these days that a work can genuinely be said to have opened up an almost unexplored aspect of early modern warfare, but this study manages to do so, and, in so doing, is a significant contribution to the histories of both medicine and warfare. Clearly written and without the hindrance of overcomplicated language, this is a well-constructed book... those who wish to understand the interaction of civil war and society in the seventeenth century could do a lot worse than to read this fascinating and illuminating study.' Journal of Military History 'The author has succeeded in assembling, from a wide range of documentary sources, a fascinating body of evidence. He can indeed feel that he has done "justice to the maimed soldier", and it is to be hoped that others will now see this as a fruitful field for futher research.' Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research '... Gruber von Arni has done a fine job... Once in a while a book comes along which turns all (we think) we know on its head. This is one such book... A must have on your bookshelf.' Arquebusier '... This is a book based firmly on empirical historical research. The standard of accuracy seems very high... deserves to become a standard work on its subject.' H-Net Reviews 'In sum, von Arni awakens us to medical pursuits in a critical period of England's history that have previously gone unnoticed. Not only does this add a new dimension to the history of military medicine, it adds an important and hitherto unwritten chapter to the history of nursing in Britain.' Medical History '... most welcome for its chronological scope, for encouraging comparisons between early-modern and modern arrangements, and for its effort to recover the history of British military nursing before the work of Flor

Spis treści

Contents: Preface; Introduction; The King’s army in Oxford, 1642-1646; The army of Parliament, 1642-1648; Parliamentary administration of casualty care; War in the Celtic nations; Casualty care during maritime conflict and overseas campaigns; Permanent military hospitals; Contemporary treatments; Nursing personalities of the Civil War and Interregnum; Conclusion; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.

O autorze

Eric Gruber von Arni