Health Care
Llandrindod Wells Cottage Hospital: Patients & Ailments
The hospital initially accommodated 6 adults and 2 children but by the time of the 1891 census it accommodated the following:
Census 1891 | ||||||
Llandrindod Wells Cottage Hospital | ||||||
Name | Position in household |
Marital status |
Age | Occupation | Place of Birth | English/Welsh speaker |
Elizabeth Jeffrey | Head | S | 43 | Matron of hospital | Scotland, Sterlingshire | English |
Sarah Evans | Serv | S | 19 | Nurse | Glamorganshire, Ystalyfera | English and Welsh |
Fanny Williams | Serv | S | 18 | Cook | Radnorshire, Llandewy | English |
Elizabeth Evans | Serv | S | 18 | Housemaid | Glamorganshire, Ystalyfera | English and Welsh |
John Webb | Patient | S | 27 | Mason | Herefordshire, Kington | English |
Samuel Conn | Patient | S | 28 | Shoehand | Worcestershire, Claines | English |
Thomas Herbert | P | U | 59 | Gardener | Suffolk, Denham | English |
Victor Tolwell | P | S | 14 | Scholar | Kent, Littlebourne | English |
David Evans | P | S | 22 | Farm Labourer | Radnorshire, Nantmel | English |
Josiah Williams | P | S | 10 | Scholar | Breconshire, Erwood | English |
Robert Morris | P | S | 4 | Radnorshire, Aberedw | English | |
Catherine Griffiths | P | S | 26 | Domestic Servant | Radnorshire, Cefnbeathe | English and Welsh |
Mary A Rees | P | S | 24 | Domestic Servant | Hereford, Michaelchurch | English |
Mary Walters | P | S | 14 | Nursemaid | Breconshire, Beulah | English |
Sarah A Stephens | P | S | 24 | Radnorshire, Llangunllo | English |
As the town was a holiday resort, it was usual for many of the patients to be from outside the area, as was the case withFrancis Cooke who unfortunately had a vest stolen while in the hospital. Many people came to the town to take the waters and improve their health. In 1891, there were 137 patients admitted in total. These were from:
Radnorshire 57
Breconshire 28
Other counties 52
The hospital had a good record as far as treatment was concerned. 1891 saw only one death of a patient, from intestinal obstruction. 101 were discharged as cured, including a little boy from Aberedw, Robert Morris shown on the census. Of the remaining patients, 23 had improved and only 12 had not improved or were still undergoing treatment.
The diseases and injuries from which they suffered were listed as follows:
Anaemia | 27 | Gastric ulcer | 5 | Gout | 2 | Haemoptysis | 1 |
Phythisis | 16 | Bone diseases | 4 | Pleurisy | 2 | Haemorrhoids | 1 |
Rheumatism | 10 | Lupus | 4 | Bursitis | 1 | Hypochondriasis | 1 |
Accident | 9 | Skin diseases | 4 | Cancer | 1 | Intestinal obstruction | 1 |
Convalescents | 9 | Abcess | 3 | Chorea | 1 | Iritis | 1 |
Dyspepsia | 7 | Asthma | 3 | Cystitis | 1 | Lymphadenoma | 1 |
Cerebral diseases | 6 | Hysteria | 3 | Dentition | 1 | Phlebitis | 1 |
Uterine diseases | 6 | Cardiac disease | 2 | Emphysema | 1 | Pneumonia | 1 |
Varicose veins | 1 |
The byelaws by which the patients were required to abide were quite restrictive.
Some of the instruments used at the hospital have been preserved at the Radnorshire Museum