In recent years there has been an immense growth in interest in the history of nursing, both from nurses themselves, who are keen to discover the roots of their practice and profession, and on the part of historians and sociologists of health care to nursing history, women's history and the development of professional groups. Originally published in 1987 this book presents some of the most interesting work in this field from authors in Britain, the USA and Australia and is a major addition to this literature.