Bramwell

- Season 1

(1995)

Eleanor Bramwell is determined to be a doctor, in spite of the unfriendly attitudes of universally male doctors. When visiting friend Victoria insists Eleanor examine her, she diagnoses syphilis and tells Victoria, infuriating her husband Lord Edward. Sir Herbert diagnoses hysteria and plans an ovariectomy, an operation with a horrifying mortality rate.

Eleanor and Nurse Carr set up the infirmary funded by Lady Peters. Eleanor operates for a strangulated hernia on a man who threatened her. Dr. Bramwell's lady friend Peggy Heart collapses on stage.

Eleanor, her father, and the clinic staff try to save a woman in labor but are astonished when they discover her husband is Black. Dr. Bramwell chews out Eleanor for the poor equipment and then gives her some of his own scalpels. Eleanor faces the dilemma of what to do with the motherless Black baby.

Neurologist Dr. Hunter volunteers to help at the Thrift and actually shows up. He seems taken with Eleanor and she enjoys his company, but his ulterior motives threaten Eleanor's peace of mind. Nurse Carr is smitten with an 8-year-old thief.

Oswald Grimes forces Dr. Bramwell to treat him with electricity. Eleanor takes a tubercular patient to his family's posh home, although he claims his legal wife is in love with his brother. The family commits him to a brutal asylum.

Marsham thinks injured Wilf has a broken neck and Lady Peters arranges for Sir Herbert to Xray him. Sir Herbert embarrasses Eleanor and uses Wilf to teach his students, resulting in serious Xray burns. Lady Peters tries to have the Thrift work with Sir Herbert's East London Hospital, but Eleanor realizes Sir Herbert wants to take it over. Lady Peters collapses with what Sir Herbert diagnoses as spastic colon but Eleanor and Dr. Bramwell are convinced she has appendicitis.

Dr. Bramwell considers Major Hyde an ideal suitor for Eleanor, and is delighted when he proposes. Bentley becomes interested in Kate. The doctors don't know whether Stebbings' unpleasant behavior is normal or signifies brain damage. Stebbings attacks Eleanor, and Dr. Bramwell and Major Hyde want to wean Eleanor away from the Thrift.