Overview

Now 750 years old, Bethlem Hospital has been continuously involved in the care of the mentally ill since at least 1400 - as such it has a strong claim to be the oldest foundation in Europe with an unbroken history of sheltering and treating the mentally disturbed. This text examines Bethlem's role within the caring institutions of London and Britain and its place in the history of psychiatry. Bethlem is not simply Europe's oldest psychiatric establishment; it is the most famous and the most notorious. It has assumed many guises over its 750 year history, it began as a religious foundation in the context of the Crusades. It became a hospital for the insane by accident, survived complex battles between Crown and Papacy, Parliament and the Corporation of the City of London, and gained great prominence for many years as Britain's only lunatic asylum. The name of Bethlem has actually turned into everyday speech and become part of a national culture. From Shakespeare's time, ""Bedlam"" was becoming detached from the institution and assuming a life and a persona.

Full Product Details

Author:   Jonathan Andrews ,  Asa Briggs ,  Roy Porter ,  Penny Tucker
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Dimensions:   Width: 17.40cm , Height: 127.00cm , Length: 24.60cm
Weight:   1.580kg
ISBN:  

9780415017732

ISBN 10:   0415017734
Pages:   766
Publication Date:   09 October 1997
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

List of plates, List of figures, List of tables, Acknowledgements, List of abbreviations, 1. Introduction, PART I: 1247-1633, 2. Background, 3. The foundation of the Priory of St Mary of Bethlehem, 4. The development of the Bethlem precinct, 5. Politics and patronage, 6. Bethlem's income, 7. From Bethlehem to Bedlam: changing roles and personnel, 8. Medieval attitudes towards and treatment of the insane, 9. Institutional care for the insane in medieval and early modern times, 10. Images of Bedlam, PART II: 1633-1783, 11. Background, 12. 'Charitable persons for excellent ends': the administration and finance of Bethlem, 13. Visiting, 14. 'The discipline of the house': environment, management and architecture, 15. The architecture of Bethlem at Moorfields, 16. Medicine, medical officers and therapeutics, 17. The rule of'sky-colour'd coats': inferior officers and servants, 18. Admission and discharge, 19. The politics of committal to early modern Bethlem, PART III: 1783-1900, 20. Encomium: Bethlem, charity and the first history of the Hospital, 21. Fact and fancy, 22. A change of scene: Bethlem's move to Southwark, 23. Attack: Bethlem and the 1815 Select Committee, 24. Bethlem and reform, 25. Investigation, 26. Classifying and consoling, 27. A Victorian institution, PART IV: 1900 to the present, 28. Bethlem and the twentieth century, 29. A new Eden: Bethlem's move to Monks Orchard, 30. New beginnings: the merger of Bethlem and the Maudsley, 31. Managing millions: administration and finance, 1901-82, 32. Serving Bethlem: medical and nursing staff, 1901-82, 33. 'In a presumably curable condition': the character of admissions in the twentieth century, 34. Tempering madness: patients and the treatment of mental illness in twentieth-century Bethlem, 35. From SHA to NHS trust, 1982-94, 36. Conclusion, PART V: Appendices, 1. Masters, wardens or keepers of Bethlem, 1247-1633, 2. Bethlem and Bridewell presidents, 1606-1793, 3. Bethlem and Bridewell apothecaries, 1634-1816, 4. Bethlem and Bridewell physicians, 1619-1816, 5. Bethlem and Bridewell surgeons, 1629-1815, 6. Bethlem medical officers, 1783-1900, 7. Twentieth-century Bethlem officers, Name index, Subject index

Reviews

A must-have for the historian of psychiatry. <br>- Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences <br> Stunning. At last Bethlem has the comprehensive history it deserves, firmly grounded in a wider social and political context. With a deft touch the authors have unpicked the tapestry of myth and misconception surrounding Bethlem, to reveal the intricate twists and turns of its various existences. Psychiatric historiography has been considerably enriched. <br>-Nick Hervey, co-author of Masters of Bedlam <br>

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Jonathan Andrews, Asa Briggs, Roy Porter, Penny Tucker and Keir Waddington

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