Media: BOOK - paperback, 208 pages
Author: M. Stevens
Year: 2020
ISBN: 9781526782090
Other: b&w photos, bibliog, index
Publisher: Pen & Sword

Have you ever wondered what life was like for the thousands of ordinary people who experienced Victorian mental health care? 'Life in the Victorian Asylum' is the story of those ordinary people. It details their daily routine, the treatments they were offered and the rules to which they had to conform.

Immerse yourself in the period detail of ward life. Meet the staff and other patients. Seek a diagnosis for your illness. Tour the hospital and take part in the activities on offer.

In 'Life in the Victorian Asylum', Mark Stevens reconstructs the lost world of the nineteenth century public asylums in England. Why were they built? Who were they for? And what is the legacy of these remarkable institutions? You may be surprised at what you discover.

Mark Stevens is a professional archivist and expert on asylum records. In this book, he delves into Victorian mental health archives to recreate the experience of entering an asylum and being treated there, perhaps for a lifetime. 

Contents:
Acknowledgements
Preface

Part 1. The Victorian Asylum Patient's Handbook
1. Lunacy and lunatics in Victoran England
2. Admission to the Aylum
3. Accommodation
4. Diagnosis
5. Staff
6. The Daily Routine
7. Treatment
8. General Health
9. Patient Rights
10. Discharge from the Asylum
11. Useful Information for Patients'Friends and Families

Part 2. The History of the Victorian Asylums
1. Moulsford Asylum: The Inspiration for this Book
2. A Work about Broadmoor
3. The Victorian Asylum: What Happened Next?
4. Become a Friend of the Victorian Asylum: Researching in Archives and Visiting Remaining Sites
5. Before you Go: Moulsford Patient Portraits
Sources
Bibliography
Index
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