With the spotlight on health, there is plenty of scope to illustrate change in practices and expectations over the centuries.
Some topics, such as reliance on home remedies and alternative cures, or the use of exercise to help the body, have their equivalents today. Others, such as the provision of clean water supply, remind us of what we now take for granted.
We see that vaccination was a controversial issue when inoculation against smallpox was introduced.
References to Florence Nightingale and patient care illustrate the development of the nursing profession, complementing records from the first years of Nottingham's General Hospital. Then, as now, we can see many examples of charitable organisations supplementing the official provision.
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