On provident dispensaries as a means for promoting the public health / by James Christie.

  • Christie, James, 1829-1892.
Date:
[1880?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On provident dispensaries as a means for promoting the public health / by James Christie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    A ooiumittee of tba Association on Hospital Outdoor Patient llefonn was accordingly apjujinted; and, since that time, it has been a standing committee which rejwrts uniiiuiUy to the Associa- tion, a sub-committee having been also ui)i)oiuted on The Working of the Provident System. At the hvst conference of the Charity Organization Society, the president, Lord Frederick Cavendish, said, in the coui-se of his address on this subject:— You had best go to the Friendly Societies, for they are acquainted with the principle of association, and the principle of self-help.'' The advice of Lord Cavendish was acted upon, luid in the year 1878 circulars were sent out to the Friendly Societies, containing a proposal to form a Metro- politan Medical Association. The answei-s received being not only favoui-able, but of the most encouraging nature, a new point of tleparture was taken, as it was seen that the provident scheme, on a large scale, could be better carried out by an independent agency than by committees of the Medical Profession, or of the Charity Organization Society. In June, 1879, a large representative meeting was accordingly held in London, under the j)residency of the Right Hon. James Stansfeld, M.P., to consider the proposal placed before the represent- ative working men of the meti-opolis by the medical committee of the Charity Organization Society, to form a Metropolitan j\Iedical A.ssociation, whereby members of the working-classes and their families might bo in.sured in health for medical attendance jmd medicines in .sickness and disease. The conference had been Ciilled l»y gentlemen representing, in the first place, the Charity Organization Society; secondly, by the representatives of the Hospital Saturday Fund; thirdly, by the associations of woi'king- men—those great Friendly Societies of the metropolis—and pro- vident dispensaries ; and by gentlemen connected with the great hospitals of London. At this meeting two resolutions were adopted, the first bemg in favour of the establishment of a metro- ]>olitan association for the purpose of ])roviding for the ordinai'y medical treatment of tlic industrial classes on provident principles, in due relation to the hos})itals; the second being that a represen- tative committee be appointed to prepare rules, to be submitted to a subsequent meeting. The committee was constituted as follows:—• Chairman.—The Right Hon. James Stansfeld, M.P. Mevibers of the Charity Organization Society.—Sir Charles Trevelyan, Bart., K.O.B., Mr. W. Bousfield, and Mr. J. R. Holland. M&mbera of