Old doctors surgery

I was in the Royal College of Nursing library today in London.  This display is in the entrance.. to show the old style of doctors surgery in the Edwardian times.... but have to say this was only if you could afford to see a doctor... Thank goodness for the NHS to offer treatment free at the point of need.  I remember my mother and father telling me of the hard times of trying to pay for a doctor if anyone was ill.  Some would have a tin on the fireplace to put pennies in to save for the time when someone in the family became ill and needed at doctor.  Of course many had the old wisdom of self treating with herbs....so did not always call for a doctor.    

Now that reminds of an old lass I nursed in my student days... She was normally a healthy strong lady good constitution so it was a bafflement to the doctors why she had suddenly developed cardiac problems.... In those days we had cardiac cases on bed rest ... it was when I was bed bathing her that I noticed old plaster markings on her lumbar region...... I asked what have you been doing here.... She replied "oh that was a belladonna poultice I had on my back for my lumbago.. " ....it was problem solved... she had been absorbing this into her system.... Belladonna is atropine and had been speeding up her heart....we use Atropine if someone has a bradycardia (abnormally slow heart rate)  and we need to speed up the heart but she was speeding up a previously normal healthy heart rate... so she had been getting palpitations.... The doctor was fascinated with my findings and goes to show that a nurse bed bathing and interacting with the patient can yield useful information to alter the care pathway.... Something that I find an alarm with today's NHS and the feeling that patients are on a conveyor belt and have to be whizzed through... time with the nurse engaging with a patient is time invested to ensure good nursing care!