The (un)dress of the mad poor in England, c.1650-1850. Part 2.
The second part of this paper assesses how far the dominant imagery of the (un)dress of the mad poor, found in the literary, medical and representational sources discussed in Part 1, corresponds with actual conditions and provisions for the poor insane as revealed in institutional and documentary sources. This is necessarily attempted through a selective sample of sources, in particular clothing procurement for the poor insane as chronicled in parochial records. More especially, the documentary accuracy of prevailing cultural representations is assessed through a case study of the records of Bethlehem (or 'Bedlam'/Bethlem) Hospital, the archetypal English madhouse.
Andrews
Jonathan
J
School of Historical Studies & Centre for the History of Medicine, University of Newcastle, Armstrong Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK. jonathan.andrews@ncl.ac.uk
D003020:Clothing / Q000266:history*; D004739:England; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000266:history; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000266:history*; D011203:Poverty / Q000266:history*