Medical Lives in the Age of Surgical Revolution

An unusual history of doctors - both male and female - trained in Britain in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

M. Anne Crowther (Author), Marguerite W. Dupree (Author)

9780521152839, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 26 August 2010

446 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm, 0.65 kg

'… fascinating and important book …' The Scotsman

This book is an unusual history of doctors trained in Britain in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, and their careers in Britain and the empire. Anne Crowther and Marguerite Dupree describe the experience of a whole generation of doctors at a time of rapid changes in medical knowledge. Amongst them were Sophia Jex-Blake and the first group of medical women in Britain. Many became disciples of Joseph Lister as he trained them in his new methods of antiseptic surgery. Surgery was not confined to specialists, and Lister's methods were adapted to suit hospitals and households, peace and war. The medical schools were tools of the Empire, sending students into general practice, military service, the mission fields, high-class consultancies and homeopathy in many lands. The book highlights the importance of medical networks - both male and female - and shows how doctors adapted to new methods in their profession.

List of illustrations
List of tables
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Arrivals
2. Student days: the shared experience of survival
3. Joseph Lister and the teaching of surgery
4. First steps: the first five years after qualification
5. Jex-Blake's women: education and careers
6. Varieties of practice
7. Listerism in practice
8. Lister's men abroad: settlers
9. Lister's men abroad: imperialists, missionaries and enclaves
10. Last days
Conclusion
Appendices
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700 [HBLH], British & Irish history [HBJD1]