Born in Cornwall, John Davy (1790 1868) physiologist and anatomist, and the younger brother of the distinguished chemist Sir Humphry Davy (1778 1829), was one of the most prolific medical experts of his day. After taking a medical degree from Edinburgh in 1814 he became an army surgeon. He later became a hospital inspector and spent time living in overseas territories including India, Sri Lanka, and Barbados. First published in 1862, Davy's book discusses the prominence of fever, dysentery, cholera, liver disease, pneumonia, and other diseases common to the army, estimating that 45% of deaths...
Born in Cornwall, John Davy (1790 1868) physiologist and anatomist, and the younger brother of the distinguished chemist Sir Humphry Davy (1778 1829),...
The greatest postnatal killer of the nineteenth century was puerperal fever. A vicious and usually fatal form of septicaemia, puerperal or childbed fever was known to occur in maternity hospitals far more frequently than at home births, and to spread faster in crowded wards than in those with fewer patients. Its cause was unknown. In this precise statistical analysis of the facts, gathered from several sources across the major cities of Europe, Florence Nightingale (1820 1910) explores the mystery of puerperal fever and its possible causes. She stresses the necessity of good ventilation in...
The greatest postnatal killer of the nineteenth century was puerperal fever. A vicious and usually fatal form of septicaemia, puerperal or childbed fe...
Eva Charlotte Ellis Luckes (1854 1919) was a pioneer of nursing training and friend of Florence Nightingale. In 1880, aged only twenty-six, she became matron of the London Hospital, the largest hospital in England, a post she held until her death. During her time there she improved working conditions for the nurses and trained her own staff, recognising the importance of a knowledge of anatomy and physiology, but never losing sight of the primary duty of a nurse to care for a patient's needs. First published in book form in 1884, these lectures were part of the training for probationers at...
Eva Charlotte Ellis Luckes (1854 1919) was a pioneer of nursing training and friend of Florence Nightingale. In 1880, aged only twenty-six, she became...
Returning from the Crimea, Florence Nightingale (1820 1910) used her experience of army medicine to ameliorate civilian nursing care. She was appalled by the conditions she found, affirming that the first requirement of a hospital was that 'it should do the sick no harm'. Problems such as overcrowding and damp, in addition to lack of ventilation and proper sanitation, contributed to high mortality rates. Nightingale's belief that such suffering was preventable was seen as revolutionary. In 1859 she published her two most influential works, Notes on Nursing (also reissued in this series) and...
Returning from the Crimea, Florence Nightingale (1820 1910) used her experience of army medicine to ameliorate civilian nursing care. She was appalled...
In medical terms, 'mineral water' was, in the early nineteenth century, any water that appeared to have an effect on human health. British physicians often prescribed mineral waters from particular locations - most commonly those at Bath - for a variety of illnesses. However, there was little available information on the chemical composition of these waters, and extant manuals were often inaccurate. This report by the physician Charles Scudamore (1779 1849) appeared in 1820, the first of its kind for decades. Having visited several well-known spas and wells, including Bath, Buxton and...
In medical terms, 'mineral water' was, in the early nineteenth century, any water that appeared to have an effect on human health. British physicians ...
A gifted yet controversial anatomical teacher, Robert Knox (1791 1862) published this remarkable study in 1852. It explores the influence of anatomy on evolutionary theories and fine art respectively. The first part of the work discusses the lives and scientific insights of the eminent French naturalists Georges Cuvier (1769 1832) and Etienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1772 1844). Rejecting the explanations offered by natural theology, Knox maintains that descriptive anatomy can give answers to questions surrounding the origin and development of life in the natural world. The latter part of the...
A gifted yet controversial anatomical teacher, Robert Knox (1791 1862) published this remarkable study in 1852. It explores the influence of anatomy o...
In 1793, the Caribbean island of Dominica fell victim to the deadly yellow fever virus. The British physician James Clark (c.1737 1819), who practised on the island for many years, witnessed the outbreak at first hand. He published this descriptive account in 1797, using the work to discuss his methods of attempting to treat the disease, which was considered among the most lethal tropical ailments of the time. Long before the link between mosquitoes and disease transmission was made, Clark explains his hypothesis about the origins of the outbreak and discusses the symptoms of its sufferers as...
In 1793, the Caribbean island of Dominica fell victim to the deadly yellow fever virus. The British physician James Clark (c.1737 1819), who practised...
A physician and medical reformer enthused by the scientific and cultural progress of the Enlightenment as it took hold in Britain, Thomas Percival (1740 1804) wrote on many topics, including public health and demography. His influential publication on medical ethics is considered the first modern formulation. In 1807, his son Edward published this four-volume collection of his father's diverse work. Some of the items here had never been published before, including a selection of Percival's private correspondence and a biographical account written by Edward. Volume 1 contains this biography...
A physician and medical reformer enthused by the scientific and cultural progress of the Enlightenment as it took hold in Britain, Thomas Percival (17...
A physician and medical reformer enthused by the scientific and cultural progress of the Enlightenment as it took hold in Britain, Thomas Percival (1740 1804) wrote on many topics, including public health and demography. His influential publication on medical ethics is considered the first modern formulation. In 1807, his son Edward published this four-volume collection of his father's diverse work. Some of the items here had never been published before, including a selection of Percival's private correspondence and a biographical account written by Edward. Volume 2 contains essays on moral...
A physician and medical reformer enthused by the scientific and cultural progress of the Enlightenment as it took hold in Britain, Thomas Percival (17...
