My new book 'Buxton - A People's History' (by Mike Langham) recounts the
growth of Buxton as a unique inland medical resort developed as an estate
town by the Dukes of Devonshire. As far as I can ascertain it is the only
inland health resort to be developed in such a manner. The early shaping of
the town by the Devonshire Estate gave way gradually to an emerging
democracy born from the Local Government Act of 1858. The book has a
chapter on the influence of water medicine and the specialist doctors in
this field who undoubtedly contributed greatly to the growing reputation of
the town. The chapter contrasts the health resorts such as Bath, Buxton and
Harrogate, which had a natural mineral water and a charity hospital and
where the doctors were firmly part of the medical establishment, with
centres such as Matlock, Ilkley and Malvern who embraced the new (or more
correctly newly revised) regime of hydropathy from the 1830s/40s. The
former centres were much slower in accepting the hydropathic movement.
Ultimately the all-embracing science of Balneology and Climatology combined
traditional, established, and new treatments leading to the present day
hydrotherapeutic treatments. Other chapters cover the growth from the start
of the ninetenth century (4) and the movers and shapers in this such as the
agents to the Devonshire Estate, Water medical doctors as mentioned,
religion and religious movements and the architects' influence on the built
environment. Chapter nine brings the story into the 20th C. Modesty forbids
me to tell you that the book is the thesis for my PhD, awarded earlier this
year by Sheffield University. Its language is, however, not over academic
and there are very full notes for each chapter gathered at the end of the
book.
The book is published in hardback with about 200 illutrations at £20. + a
nominal £1.50 p&p direct from the publisher Carnegie Publishing Ltd,
Carnegie House, Chatsworth Road, LANCASTER, Lancs. LA1 4SL Or, as they say,
from any good bookshops. (Did anyone ever know a bad bookshop?)
Hope you might find this of interest
Mike Langham
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