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Poor-Law Medical AppointmentsAuthor(s): MedicusSource: Provincial Medical and Surgical Journal (1844-1852), Vol. 10, No. 38 (Sep. 23, 1846), pp.459-460Published by: BMJStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25499473 .

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POOR-LAW MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS. 459

(and grateful assistance ; the other will render per manent aid.

Neither do I admit, as asserted, that we shall not

obtain money from the parties whose relatives will

derive benefit from Mr. Daniell's scheme. Would to

God it were so, for then, in charity, rather than in

prudence, we should the more earnestly exert ourselves

in this great cause. Let any one learn in what position some of the recipients of the " Benevolent Fund" have

stood, and an answer in the negative will unhappily be

too frequently given to the correctness of this last

assertion I have alluded to.

To the " GENERAL MEDICAL ANNUITY FUND" I

earnestly invite your most serious attention, a " Fund"

now being established, apart from any already formed

association; and, if we have any reason to place faith

in Mr. Daniell's foresight and sincerity, the merits of

the cause he has taken in hand must speak loudly for

themselves-of a cause which could induce him last

month to utter the following language: " My heart is in the matter, and while I have life and

breath, and am privileged to possess the small measure

of capacity which is my own, I will never cease to

urge upon you the imperative necessity of some such

institution as I have proposed, nor relax one moment

in that enthusiastic pursuit of it, which I am proud to

say, at every sacrifice, has characterized my conduct

during the past year, and which nothing, save God's

own interposition, shall arrest."

Our "Annuity Fund" has been refused the home

sought for it, and thus far its benevolent and unwearied

founder has been thwarted in his grand scheme. But

the home he sought for it, be it ever so natural and

desirable, is it, I ask you, absolutely necessary to its

existence, its growth, or its ultimate success i Rest

assured it is not! You may feel certain that Mr.

Daniell will secure it a safe and a permanent abode.

In effecting this, he may have to tax himself with more

labour; lie has given us ample assurance he will not

shrink from such. lie may have to alter or to add to

the title or designation; ie may have to reconsider the

rules; he, very likely, will find it necessary to call a

general meeting of the subscribers, to consider these

and many other points, especially the government. Forced we are to establish this " Fund" in a somewhat

new form. This will, most probably, bring together

medical practitioners from a distance; and, although the

object may not of itself be scientific, like that of the Provincial Association, there is no reason why it may not become so; and surely a personal acquaintance with our brethren, induced by a benevolent cause, will not tend to render our meeting otherwise than

social and contributive to recreation, while it ulti

mately may be the means of working a salutary influ

ence on the profession and on ourselves.

Gentlemen, if you have not read Mr. Daniell's pub lished Address,* I would fain persuade you to do so,

and then I ask you, with all your power, to join him

most cordially in his grand and truly benevolent under

taking. Let us all heartily and zealously unite our efforts with his in securing ultimate success to so

excellent a work, so ably commenced. For this we must have "

MEANS." I therefore suggest to those who have givetl a donation, and who can afford it, to

- * This mav be procured in London, at Mr. John Churchill's, Princes Street, Soho.

give more. I ask all to make known this " ANNUITY

FUND," far and wide, to their medical friends, and induce them to become subscribers. I beseech those who have promised their aid, and have not

yet transmitted their subscription or donation, no

longer to delay effectually addressing our respected friend and Secretary, Mr. Joseph Staines, of Newport

Pagnell. I will not refrain from expressing a hope that this may reach the eye or the ear of a learned and opulent physician who has promised so handsome a donation, and that he will be induced to give his bountiful support now. I request all to mention this

grand scheme to their more wealthy non-medical

friends; many will, as I have proved, find some of these both able and happy to mark their sense and admiration of this " Annuity Fund," for the permanent relief of the fatherless and the widow by presenting a donation.

With our united efforts, under the guidance of so

energetic, so persevering, and above all, so christian a leader as Mr. Daniell, I feel confident of the ultimate success of our " Annuity Fund."

I am, Gentlemen,

Your obedient servant.

GEORGE KELSON.

Sevenoaks, September 12, 1846.

POOR-LAW MEDICAL APPOINTMNENTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PROVINCIAL MEDICAL AND SURGICAL JOURNAL.

SIR,

Seeing that the Poor-Law Committee of our Asso ciation are about to represent to the Secretary of State the abllses which exist in the medical department of the several Unions, I feel it my duty to bring under their notice the following flagrant case.

The medical officer of one of the districts of this Union recently resigned his appointment; I, as well as a very young practitioner in this town, applied for the

same. I had been an unsuccessful candidate on three

previous occasions, brought with me the recommenda tion of eiglit years' successful practice in the place, as

well as first-rate testimonials, and have been for several

years a considerable rate-payer. My opponent, on the

contrary, is residing in lodgings, and has been in practice only six months, but his father is the present Mayor, and a violent political partisan, therefore his son must have the office. Accordingly, every kind of undue influence was exercised ; leading members of the Uni

versity, a newspaper editior, and others, exerted themn selves to the utmost; and, to crown all, the Mayor, being by virtue of his office an ex-officio Guardian,

appeared at tile election, and voted for his own son,

although, on no former occasion during his year of office, had he attended a single meeting of the Board. The result was, tllat I was beaten by two votes, although admitted to be the best qualified candidate; and my

testimonials, which were forwarded, were never ex

amined, while my opponent produced none. The dis

trict contains a population of at least 15,000, half of

which at least are paupers; and yet, froln political

intrigue, a young mian, of little experience compared with myself, is thrust upon these poor creatures as their

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460 MISCELLANEOUS.

medical attendant, to the exclusion of one of much

greater standing. Ever since the formation of this Union has the

election of surgeons been influenced solely by poli tical feeling, to the total exclusion of merit, and

the majority of the Guardians have taken office for the

accomplishment of such unworthy objects, conse

quently there has usually been a change of surgeons

every twelve or eighteen months. Is it not high time, Mr. Editor, that Boards of Guardians were either

constituted of gentlemen, superior to such corrupt

feelings, and capable of duly estimating the attainments

of candidates, which I affirm in boroughs few of them

are, or the power of electing the medical officers

removed entirely from them, and vested in the hands

of Government, when men of proper qualification and standing could be alone chosen, far better paid for

their services, and the sufferings of the sick and injured

poor materially alleviated.

I am, Sir, Your obedient servant,

MEDICUS. Cambridge, Sept. 15, 1846.

[There is but one effectual remedy for the abuse of

which our correspondent complains, and for a multi

tude of others connected with the administration of

medical relief to the poor, and that is the placing of

the entire department under the control of competent

persons. By competent persons, we mean members

of the medical profession, who alone are, and can be,

acquainted with the duties required, and at the same

time that they are officially responsible to the Govern ment, will also be responsible in the professional estimation of their medical brethren for the manner

these duties are discharged by them.]

WATER-BEDS IN PAUPER LUNATIC ASYLUMS.

The medical officers of the Lunatic Asylum for the

county of Lancaster, which contains between six and seven hundred inmates, have published a short but

very excellent report of that establishment for the last year, wherein we find it stated, that " the most beneficial results have arisen from the use of the

water-bed, which has now been adopted for the last two or three years, and by its agency, a large amount of suffering has been obviated, more especially in the case of bed-ridden patients, where there has been a

strong tendency to sloughing, or sores on the back." It is well that medical superintendents, and others concerned with similar establishments, should have their attention turned to the propriety of providing the

water-bed-a most valuable appendage-for which the inventor has never received sufficient honour from the

public, and none from the Government. The same report contains a tabular view of the pro

portion of insane paupers to the whole population of the county of Lancaster, from which it appears that there are 1331 lunatics, or one in every 1252 inhabitants.

Of the 1331 pauper lunatics thus recognized, 675 are in asylums, and 656 in other situations.

The following extract from this report is also deserving of consideration s

" It is to be regretted, that at a time when the amount of accommodation for the insane poor of this

county is so very limited, a large proportion of persons

suffering from mere imbecility of mind should be forwarded for admission. Such individuals remain from infancy to death in a state of harmless quietude; and although none of the higher mental faculties have been developed, yet the instinctive attachments are

strong, and they are capable of appreciating the foster

ing care of relations, and of feeling acutely a separa tion from home and friends. To remove such parties, and to place them in confinement, must at all times be an act of doubtful expediency; but at the present period, when others, by their admission, are prevented from deriving that benefit which the asylum was destined to afford, there can be no hesitation as to the course most desirable to be pursued."

PATENT MEDICINES. It is a popular error to suppose that the quack

nostrums, so abundant in the present day, are in any way protected by Royal Letters Patent, or, indeed, enjoy any protection at all. It is a fact that not one of the so-called " Patent" medicines in present vogue is

protected by patent. The only protection (and this is too much,) which the state affords to Morrison,

Holloway, and Co., is the red stamp round the box or

bottle, for which three half-pence are paid, and which serves merely to protect the name of the proprietor,

without having any reference to the contents of the box or bottle. This pseudo-protection, however, which in reality amounts to nothing at all, gives to the

quack an excellent plea to boast that he and his de lectable compounds are under the special care of

government authority; and a great parade is made about " Honourable Commissioners of Stamps and

Taxes,"-"red stamp," to imitate which is felony, and, it might be added, the penalty for which is the same as for taking the physic-death.-Patent Journal.

SOCIETY OF APOTHECARIES. Gentlemen admitted Licentiates, Thursday, Septem

ber 10th:-Wm. Forster Fotherby, Sheffield; Richard Lowe Webb, London; William Edward Wright; Gordon Kenmure Hardie; George Burnside Bryden,

Kirkby Stephen; William Hankes Day, Norwich.

PROVINCIAL MEDICAL AND SURGICAL ASSOCIATION.

NOTICE TO MEMBERS.

Members of the Association having suggestions to

make for the improvement of the publications of the

Association, are requested to communicate with Mr.

Bree, the Secretary of the Committee appointed at

Norwich to consider this subject.

ERRATA.

In the heading of Dr. Roberts' paper, p. 441, col. 2, 1. 19, for " INGUINAL" read " ST'RANGULA TED:" p. 442, eol, 1, 1. 11, for " NUIOINAL " read

s FBEMORALii

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