What part did the British voluntary hospital system play in the health of the community in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries? Did hospitals kill or cure? Originally published in 1974, this study investigates these questions through a pioneering examination of the extant hospital records, ranging from admissions registers to annual reports, and by an analysis of the contemporary literature. It relates the hospital system to the changing economic and social environment and is primarily concerned with the patients themselves and their experiences. The lack of medical treatment for the bulk of the population is emphasised, and the influence of the reformers on the foundation of the first voluntary hospitals in the beginning of the 18th century is assessed. Staffing and administrative procedures are studied as a prelude to examining the patients – their social background and physical and surgical complaints. Important aspects of the hospitals’ work and their influence on the rate of mortality are explored. They are admissions policy regarding fever cases; the nature and number of surgical cases and the incidence of sepsis. The effect of growing urbanization and industrialization on the success of the voluntary hospitals in the 19th century is also examined.

Han Zhang received his B.S. degree from Wuhan University in 2006 and Ph.D. from Nanyang Technological University in 2010. He is currently working as a distinguished Professor and Director College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China. His current research is on the ultrafast and nonlinear photonics of two-dimensional materials. He is currently the director of Shenzhen Key Laboratory of 2D Materials and Devices and Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Phosphorene and Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University.

Nasir Mahmood Abbasi received his master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Karachi, Pakistan, and PhD in Chemical Engineering with a focus in nanoscale materials (morphology and self-assembly of nanomaterial) from Zhejiang University, China in 2016. He worked as a postdoc fellow in the School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering at Shenzhen University from June 2019 to August 2021. After that worked as a scientist on a collaborative project in the Nanjing University Biomedical Engineering Department (Butch/Wang research group: https://butchresearch.com) and Research and Development unit of Nanjing Nuoyuan Medical Devices Company (October 2021 to October 2024). His research interests include heterostructures and the macroassemblies of nanoscale materials for their applications in energy, healthcare, and electronics.

Muhammad Tayyab obtained his Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering with a specialization in Magnetic Optoelectronic Materials from Nanjing Tech University,China in 2021, has continued to expand his research pursuits. After serving as a postdoctoral researcher from October 2023 to September 2025 at Nanjing Tech University, he has extended his expertise to Shenzhen University, China, where he currently holds a postdoctoral position. With a comprehensive background in energy generation, particularly focusing on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) and piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs), and batteries as well as diverse interests encompassing sensors and actuators, optoelectronics,flexible electronics, and capacitors, Dr. Tayyab's contributions continue to drive advancements in sustainable energy solutions and advanced materials science. His dual postdoctoral experiences underscore his commitment to interdisciplinary research and collaborative exploration in academia.