This text traces the development of medical practice over a period of enormous change, from the Industrial Revolution right through to the 20th century. Drawing on a wide range of source material, it charts the changing relationship between patients and practitioners over this period, exploring the impact made by institutional care, government intervention and scientific discovery. The study illuminates the extent to which medical assistance really was available to patients over the period, by focusing on provincial areas and using local sources. It introduces a variety of contemporary...

First published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.