Fever hospitals in counties Armagh and Down: 1817-39.

This paper outlines the provision for fever patients, (other than those suffering from cholera during the epidemic of 1832-34), in counties Armagh and Down in the two decades prior to the introduction of the Poor Law to Ireland. Possible causes of fever and the numbers of patients treated are discussed. The establishment and location of fever hospitals and the state of the premises are considered and an assessment of the contribution of these institutions to the development of medical provision in the early nineteenth century is also provided.