Victory over disease : resolving the medical crisis in the Crimean War, 1854-1856 / Michael Hinton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hinton, Michael (Historian), author.

Series:

From musket to Maxim 1815-1914 ; 3.

From musket to maxim 1815-1914 ; [3]

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Crimean War, 1853-1856--Medical care.

Crimean War, 1853-1856.

Crimean War, 1853-1856--Health aspects.

Medical care.

Physical Description:

xx, 351 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Warwick : Helion & Company, 2019.

Summary:

This book presents fresh analyses of unpublished, published and significant primary source material relevant to the medical aspects on the Eastern campaign of 1854-1856 - commonly called the Crimean War. The aim has been to produce an account based on robust evidence. The project began with no preconceptions but came to seriously question the contributions made by the talented and well-connected Florence Nightingale and the suitably-qualified Sanitary Commissioners. The latter had been sent by the government to investigate matters on the spot. This may prove an unexpected and possibly unsympathetic conclusion for some of Nightingale's many admirers. Rigorously weighing the evidence, it is unmistakeably clear that there is very little proof that Nightingale and the Sanitary Commissioners significantly influenced the improvement in the health of the main Army in the Crimea. The principal problems were at the front, not in Turkey, and it was there that matters were gradually rectified, with the health of the troops beginning to improve during the early weeks of 1855. The historiography of the campaign has tended to concentrate on the catastrophic deterioration in the health of the Army during the first winter and the perceived incompetence of the heads of department. The contributions made by Nightingale and the Sanitary Commissioners have been greatly over-emphasised. As a consequence, the medical aspects of the war have been inaccurately portrayed in both academic works and popular culture.0.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 326-339) and index.

ISBN:

9781911628316

1911628313

OCLC:

1048934287

Publisher Number:

99983187301