Bridgnorth Infirmary : philanthropy, prejudices & patients 1832-1948 / Gillan Waugh Pead.

"Today's Bridgnorth Hospital has its origins in a pre-Victorian infirmary founded in the ancient market town in 1835. The driving force behind this institution was James Milman Coley - Bridgnorthian, doctor and a man with a vision. That vision was for the establishment of an infirmary that would serve the needs of the town and district's 'deserving' sick poor. But even such noble aims are seldom realised without a struggle, and the founding of the Bridgnorth Infirmary was characterised as much by opposition and controversy, politics and conflicts of personality, as it was by the cooperation and benevolence of the community and those with influence. Based on detailed, original research, this book tells the fascinating story of the infirmary and the characters involved, from its founding in the nineteenth century up to the advent of the National Health Service in 1948. In so doing it presents a microcosm of the many developments that took place nationally in medicine, nursing, hospital design and public health during this period, as well as providing a unique window onto health care in a Shropshire market town in the nineteenth century and beyond - on those who were responsible for that care, and those who received it."--From back cover.