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George Bodington (1799–1882) was an English general practitioner and specialist in pulmonary consumption (tuberculosis). In 1840 he published an essay, ''On the Treatment and Cure of Pulmonary Consumption'', condemning contemporary treatments and advocating instead dry frosty air, gentle exercise, and a healthy diet. Discouraged by vehement attacks made by reviewers, he changed his interests to the treatment of insanity. ==Introduction== Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the worst of all diseases to have afflicted humanity. At least 20% of the English population died after contracting TB in the early Nineteenth century. Very few sufferers expected anything but a hopeless decline. Although the disease was known from prehistoric times, the accepted medical treatments, developed over many hundreds of years, were harsh, unpleasant and rarely successful. They also weakened the bodily strength needed to resist its advances.〔"TB" is used throughout, in place of Pulmonary Consumption and Phthisis, terms used by Bodington to denote a wasting disease of the lungs. Background information from p. 43 "The Victorian Hospital" Lavinia Mitton, Shire Publications, 2000 edition.〕 George Bodington's international reputation as a physician is based upon his pioneering treatment of patients suffering from TB (Pulmonary Consumption), described his classic Essay written in 1840. It is unfortunate that medical historians have largely ignored other very significant aspects of his life and work. Typical is a comment by Richard Cyriax, who was a TB Treatment Officer in Warwick and Coventry In a very well researched and informative article about Bodington's treatment of TB, Cyriax ended with the comment that "little needs to be said of the remainder of Bodington's life after 1840." (2) This statement was quite wrong, but it reflects a commonly held view that Bodington's later career does not merit investigation. Even his 1882 Obituary gives only a passing reference to his long career caring for mentally ill patients. (3) For thirty years, Bodington worked with compassion and ingenuity, treating patients in his Driffold House Lunatic Asylum. This was a period in history when few physicians had the knowledge or the inclination to specialise in treating mental illness and when there were frequent allegations of profiteering and abuse among owners and managers of asylums. Bodington should also be recognised for his energy and commitment to public service. For more than thirty years, during a time of intense social, economic and political change, he found time to serve as a magistrate and as a leading member of Sutton Coldfield's historic governing body, the Warden and Society. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「George Bodington」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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