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G170. INSIGHT INTO PAEDIATRIC IN-PATIENT POPULATION IN THE VICTORIAN HOSPITAL: INFORMATION FROM THE CENSUS RETURNS OF 1881
M. Hewitt.
Child Health, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UK
Introduction: The establishment of dedicated children’s hospitals in the UK occurred during the second half of the 19th century. Children were admitted to these units and to nearby general hospitals. Census returns were undertaken every 10 years from 1841and detailed information on patients and staff resident in the hospital was collected. The study looked to collate this information.
Method: Census forms from the 1881 census were reviewed and the entries for the children’s hospitals and nearby general hospitals in Nottingham, Derby and Birmingham were identified. All patients under the age of 14 were noted and comparisons between adult and children’s institutions were made. Details of staff who were resident were also noted. Mortality of the children in these units was assessed by checking the national register of deaths for comparable names.
Results: In-patient numbers for Birmingham, Nottingham, and Derby children’s hospitals were 59, 28 and 9 respectively. Most were under 12 and all were under 14 years. The nearby general hospitals, however, had significant numbers of children as in-patients during the night of the census. 59 of 242 patients in Birmingham, 19 of 114 in Nottingham and 33 of 133 in Derby were under 14 years of age. The children’s hospitals in Nottingham and Derby did not have medical staff listed as sleeping in the building whilst all the others did.
Discussion: Changes in attitudes clearly saw the establishment of children’s hospitals in many towns and cities in the UK. The nearby main infirmaries and general hospitals continued to admit children. It is likely that the two units received differing groups of children as in-patients.
G171. FEEDING BABIES IN THE BATTLE TO CONTROL INFANT MORTALITY IN GLASGOW 1900–1910
L. Weaver.
Centre for History of Medicine, University of Glasgow
During the early years of the child welfare movement the setting up of milk …