Insanity Institutions And Society 1800-1914

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of insanity institutions and society from 1800 to 1914. It covers debates on the growth of institutional care during this time period and examines the English model, including the role of ethnicity, race, gender, and political and cultural factors. The book also includes studies from other countries such as Wales, Scotland, Ireland, India, and South Africa, and discusses the history of colonial medicine. Overall, the book is a valuable contribution to the literature and highlights the complexity of caring for the mentally ill during the 19th century.

This guide to work in the social and cultural history of insanity, provides a comprehensive summary of the debates on the growth of institutional care during the 19th and 20th centuries. Looking at the English model in terms of the significance of ethnicity, race and gender as well as political and cultural factors, the book also features studies in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, India and South Africa, and analyses the history of colonial medicine more generally. Review: ... the collection represents a valuable contribution to the literature and will continue to provide reminders of the complexity that characterized the provision of care for the mentally ill in the nineteenth century.--Matthew Gambino, ISIS, 2001.