Negotiating Insanity in the Southeast of Ireland, 1820-1900

This book explores local medical, lay, and legal negotiations with the asylum system in nineteenth-century Ireland, deepening our understanding of attitudes towards the mentally ill and institutional provision for their care and containment. It also examines the impact of the Irish poor law, petty session courts, and medical dispensaries on the provision of services and provides insights into life in asylums for patients and staff.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 304 pages
\n Publication date: 12 July 2019
\n Publisher: Manchester University Press
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This comprehensive work delves into the intricate negotiations surrounding local medical, legal, and lay practices with the asylum system in nineteenth-century Ireland. By expanding the analytical lens beyond asylums, it sheds light on the profound impact of the Irish poor law, petty session courts, and medical dispensaries on the provision of services. Through a detailed examination of the Carlow asylum district, comprising counties Wexford, Kildare, Kilkenny, and Carlow in the southeast of Ireland, the study explores the historical significance of asylums within this period.

The book offers invaluable insights into the lives of patients and staff within these institutions, providing a rich and detailed account of the experiences and challenges faced by both groups. It sheds light on the social, economic, and cultural factors that shaped the asylum system and its treatment of mental illness.

This book will appeal to scholars and researchers in the fields of nineteenth-century Ireland, the history of psychiatry and medicine in Britain and Ireland, Irish studies, and gender studies. Its multidisciplinary approach and rich source material make it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of the asylum system and its impact on society during this period.

\n Weight: 390g\n
Dimension: 140 x 215 x 21 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781526142610\n \n