Books for Dissertation

[Spraggs84]

Morning all,

 

I'm currently working on a history dissertation. My dissertation is centred around how successful were the British government in rehabilitating WW1 amputee's.

 

Ive come across some great books written around the time, i was curious if anybody knew of any books in regards to the care and rehabilitation of these amputee's.

 

i currently have:

 

Disabled Soldiers handbook

The future of the Disabled soldier - William Hutt

Disabled soldiers and sailors pensions and training - Edward Devine

Handbook for the limbless - G Howson

Artificial limbs and amputation stumps - E Murrihead

 

if anyone can help or point me in the right direction i would be very thankful

 

Regards

 

Michael

[spof]

Hello Michael and welcome to the Forum.

 

Have you had a look at the Wellcome Trust Library and Archives?

 

Glen

[MBrockway]

Capt Basil Williams Raising and Training the New Armies (1920), Chapter VII The Care of Disabled Soldiers, pp.273-312.

 

You should also check Hansard.  IIRC there were many parliamentary Qs raised about rehabilitation.

 

You could also go "old school" and ask your academic supervisor for a reading list

[Spraggs84]

the wellcome trust is more medical and offers books on surgical techniques which is not where my historical inquiry is heading.

 

Ive been to the national archives in Kew, but this are mainly government papers on the soldiers and how they define there disability on a percentage scale.

 

I got great diaries from the imperial war museum and some of the books i stated above come from there, i just need some more depth to my primary sources though.

 

MBrockway - thank you for the suggestions, unfortunatly my supervisor doesn't have a reading list as this is a dissertation and its a very niche inquiry.

[GreyC]

Hi,

in Germany some institutions dealing with physical as well as vocational/professional rehab measures published more or less widespread documentations to either generate funds or as progress-report/account. Maybe you could find some material that way in Britain, too.

GreyC

[teabreak]

This is not a direct answer to your query about reading material, but if you want something to quote in the thesis, have you seen Sassoon's poem "Does it matter?":   

 

Does it matter? -losing your legs?
For people will always be kind,
And you need not show that you mind
When others come in after hunting
To gobble their muffins and eggs.
Does it matter? -losing you sight?
There’s such splendid work for the blind;
And people will always be kind,
As you sit on the terrace remembering
And turning your face to the light.
Do they matter-those dreams in the pit?
You can drink and forget and be glad,
And people won't say that you’re mad;
For they know that you've fought for your country,
And no one will worry

[seaJane]

There may be some useful links in this thread: 

 

[Guest]

 

Suggest you go on to ABE and buy the following book while the last few copoies are going cheap-it's good value and it's bibliographical references will be academically up to date. The book is most unlikely to come any cheaper.

 

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John Galsworthy and Disabled Soldiers of the Great War

Jeffrey S Reznick

Published by Manchester UP (2009)

ISBN 10: 0719077923 ISBN 13: 9780719077920

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Item Description: Manchester UP, 2009. Book Condition: New. John Galsworthy (1867-1933) was one of the bestselling novelists of the 20th century, and the author of the enduringly popular Forsyte Saga. Less well known today are his indefatigable efforts during and after the First World War on behalf of disabled ex-servicemen. This most comprehensive study to date charts Galsworthy's commitment to what he called 'the sacred work', and includes many of the powerful articles, essays and works of fiction that he devoted to the cause. Bookseller Inventory # 220717

[MBrockway]

You should find the Basil Williams book (cited in my first post) will give you a lot of what you need.

 

Search also for ...

Naval and Military War Pensions Act 1915

Statutory Committee of the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation

British Limbless Ex-Servicemen’s Association

Sir Henry Norman Report on the Treatment and Training of Disabled Soldiers (1917) - covers what France was doing

 

 

 

[Terry_Reeves]

I would strongly recommend Deborah Cohen's Disabled Veterans in Britain and Germany 1914-1939, University of California Press 2001. It is a first-rate comparative study.

 

TR

Edited 13 December , 2017 by Terry_Reeves

[Guest]

Physical Remedies for Disabled Soldiers (1917)

Experience in the re-education of disabled soldiers (1919)

The Evolution of National Systems of Vocational Reeducation and Training for Soldiers and Sailors (1918)

Retraining Canada's Disable Soldiers (1920)

Disables Soldiers and Sailors Pensions and Training (1919 - US)

 

and this link in general CLICK

[Dust Jacket Collector]

John Galsworthy also edited the short-lived journal, ‘Reveille’, devoted to the disabled sailor and soldier. He managed to persuade many of the days famous authors to contribute original articles and stories to it along with features on surgery and care for the disabled. Only 3 issues were produced between August 1918 & February 1919 and is now a scarce item although there are copies in several libraries.

[charlesmessenger]

You might try Queen Mary's Hospital Roehampton, which was one of the first to rehabilitate limbless servicemen and still does so today for amputees in general. It may have an archive, probably based elsewhere since the Hospital is now in a new building adjacent to the original one (now luxury flats).

 

Charles M 

[seaJane]

Using my phone so haven't been able to search, but the Hospital Records Database may lead you to St Mary's:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/

[MaureenE]

The Inter-allied conference on the after-care of disabled men  1918

https://archive.org/details/interalliedconfe00interich

 

You could also search Archive.org, using keywords such as crippled, cripples, "disabled men"

 

You could also look if there is anything on HathiTrust Digital Library

https://www.hathitrust.org

 

16 hours ago, Spraggs84 said:

the wellcome trust is more medical and offers books on surgical techniques which is not where my historical inquiry is heading.

 

Have you actually searched the Wellcome Library catalogue? On other topics, I have found some unexpected digitised items there, including  personal accounts. 

 

Cheers

Maureen

[mancpal]

I'm sorry I can't add to the above, I'm posting because to me it seems an interesting subject.

My father , now ninety, remembers having to take his fathers tin leg to a workshop near Belle Vue Zoo when it needed repair.

I hadn't previously thought much about what my grandads treatment would have been like after the war so you've opened a whole new chapter for me.

 

simon

[Spraggs84]

thank you everybody for your responses.

 

its a great topic, i'm also an amputee and this was the reasoning behind my dissertation; my great-grandfather also lost a leg in WW2, but i find WW1  more interesting.

 

Many thanks guys

[David_Underdown]

I think there is a small museum/archives at the current Queen Mary's Roehampton (not St Mary's).

 

The National Archives' blog has a current series for Disability History Month which includes some things touching on this subject eg http://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/diamond-cutting-disabled-servicemen/ (you may find it worth looking at Louise's other posts, I think there are some on the Erskine Hospital in Scotland too).  These may point you in the direction of other sources.

[seaJane]

Not amputees I'm afraid but facial injuries: however, you may find Sam Alberti's War, Art and Surgery, on the work of Henry Tonks and Harold Gillies, interesting.

 

sJ

[Guest]

  And a useful little note on The National Archives blog this very week, posted 12th December-a couple of useful references

 

Disabled British Army Great War veterans, 1918-1939

Tuesday 12 December 2017 | Dr Michael Robinson | Records and research | 1 comment

[kenf48]

Not a book but Jessica Meyer's(aka 'thehistorygirl1' on Twitter) blog may be with a look and will also put you in touch with a network of similar researchers,

https://armsandthemedicalman.wordpress.com

she is also strand leader for Legacies of war Leeds University Centenary Project

https://twitter.com/LegaciesofWW1

 

 

Leeds History faculty are doing a great deal of work on disabled soldiers and their care and have held a couple of conferences this year.

 

Ken

 

 

 

[yperman]

War Surgery 1914-18 edited  by Scotland and  Heys published by  Helion & Co Solihull 2013 has some possibly useful material, especially the chapter on orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation (pp148 on) and a reading list including details of  British medical journal items on  amputation techniques ( pp 175).

[Guest]

  Dare we ask where you are?   A university library ought to have access to some of the major online resources-eg

 

      

ARTICLE

Rehabilitation and restoration: orthopaedics and disabled soldiers in Germany and Britain in the First World War

Anderson, Julie ; Perry, Heather R.

Routledge

Medicine, Conflict and Survival, 05 December 2014, p.1-25[Peer Reviewed Journal]

). However, there were signi cant numbers of men for whom the war was over. Many of these men were amputees, and the severity of

Full text available

 

Would seem like a good start!!

 

JSTOR has the British Medical Journal scanned in. Should be useful.

[TGM]

No doubt you've looked a the Science Museum exhibition- Wounded.

 

Don't overlook more general publications such as BMA's British medicine in the War, 1914-1917 - which has a chapter on specific aspects such as artificial limbs and gives credit to former miner Mr. Thomas Williams regarding the invention of artificial limb for the upper limb (forearm).

 

I would also mention the Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps  , and databases (in addition to those mentioned above) such as PubMed and  Web of Science for a broader perspective.

Not sure what methodology you are using but don't forget hospital archives (mentioned above) and local archives.

 

I would also recommend an often overlooked resource such as historic (and current) newspapers - The British Newspaper Archive and others should be available via your local Library if not University Library.

 

Parliamentary commentary, e.g., Hansard

 

Be careful with C20th v C21st terminology and sensitivities;  be flexible with the timeline and scale, material on WWII may also deal with what worked or not in WWI, equally material on Gulf War, Iraq/Afghanistan, i.e. recent conflicts may or may not be useful.

 

Good luck... though with the advice offered by my pals, you should be fine...

 

[Spraggs84]

thank you for the help, i appreciate it.

 

my university library has useful information, but sometimes the university has not purchased access to certain journals and resources, which can be frustrating, the stuff i could potentially get on interlibrary loans are often not available due to the age of the resources i require.

 

Thanks for your help