would visitors be allowed to see a dying TB patient in hospital in the 1890's?

Question

I'm writing a novel set in the 1890's and want to set a scene in the Royal London Hospital. One of the chracters has been taken there; she is dying of consumption and I wanted to have her being visited by her husband and son... but I'm unable to find any specific information on whether visitors were allowed at all. Can you give me any more background to my scene?

Answer 1

Yes, they were.

I can even give you an example from literature.

Victor Hugo has Jean Valjean visiting Fauntine, and Javert is allowed to burst in.

Answer 2

,Yes, 1890 but as it would be likely that they are "paying" customers versus a charity isolation TB hospital.

The "rules' would be short visits, lots of hand washing, gowns, and such, most hospitals were designed with such as a back entrance meeting area. It was the "law" that married couples "could not be separated" if they so demanded; however the non-infected spouse would be obligated to remain in the isolation unit.

Personal contact was limited but not that much "no kissing on the lips" was posted or in the written patient handouts.

The "rules" for the consumptive patient are many: both at home and in the hospital: no spitting, paper cups, boil handkerchiefs, burn everything that cannot be boiled.

Even by 1890 the "open air" concept was being understood,
as it the Alps and in the USA, mostly Colorado.

A history of Nursing book or Internet search would be good.

Back to the "open windows", amazing that one is today safer in a pre 1950 hospital in the UK than in the newer "ventilated" wards as the TB justs rides around in the air ducts.

Now a TB hospital would be different, a sanitarium would have many poor folks and they were expected to do the work: cleaning, etc.

Then, even now, the physicians were as fearful of what a visitor would bring into the hospital as what they might "catch". Still a concern.

Answer 3

Yes, They had people with TB walk around on the streets. In the Wild West of the US, Men with TB had a little container to spit in and hold their hacked up blood. Sounds Sick but most doctors didn't know how it was spreed. Also if the person is a girl, she would not be in the hospital at all. Women woul d be embarrass to be seen by a strange man naked. Hell The Assassin of Archduke, Frans Ferdinand of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire had TB

Answer 4

Well what i know of dying TB patients, they were always taken to a secluded area and no visitors were ever allowed because TB is really contagious. Even some nurses and doctors died by catching it.

Answer 5

probably not..as TB or "rapid consumption" was highly contageous and there were no antibiotics for cures back then.
you might have them glimpse her from another room..or through a window...
but TB patients were isolated .
you could make it very dramatic and have the husband risking it all for love!

Answer 6

they were taken to isolation wards out side of towns with a mausoleum in its grounds so relatives could hold a service on there death apart from that there were no visiting writs the authorities were trying to contain it with isolation they didn't have anti bio tics then

Answer 7

no way would you be allowed to visit a tb patient. as tb was very contagous,both my aubtie and her husband had it.and died from it.