The Royal Infirmary for the diseases of the eye, : under the direction of Mr. Wathen Phipps, surgeon and oculist in the ordinary to His Majesty, and to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

  • Phipps, Jonathan Wathen.
Date:
[1804 or 1805]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Royal Infirmary for the diseases of the eye, : under the direction of Mr. Wathen Phipps, surgeon and oculist in the ordinary to His Majesty, and to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    This general Consideration, added to the peculiar Suffer¬ ings of the Soldiers and Sailors since the Egyptian Expe¬ dition, induced Mr. Wathen Phipps to lay before Their Majesties, through the Condescension of His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, the Propo¬ sition of establishing an Infirmary, exclusively for the Reception of Persons afflicted with Diseases of the Eye, where every Advantage resulting from Operations, proper Treatment, Attention, and Diet, may be obtained. He has for many Years past received indiscriminately all poor Persons labouring under Diseases of the Eye on certain Days and Hours, and administered to them gratuitously both Advice and external Applications. Rut as the Number of these has for fourteen Years past amounted annually to 1000, 1500, and even to 2000, the small Relief afforded by a single Individual is totally inadequate to their Wants, since, in a Variety of Cases and Opera¬ tions, they require the Aid of an Hospital, where they may receive Advantages which it is impossible to give them at their own Habitations. These Facts having been represented to Their Majesties, they have most humanely and graciously condescended not only to ap¬ prove this Plan, but also to become the Patrons of it and Benefactors to it. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the other Branches of the Royal Family, have also been pleased to receive it under their Protection. With this Sanction the Promoters of this Institution ap¬ peal to a generous Public to second their Endeavours, and enable them bv their Contributions to establish such a j Foundation as will secure to the afflicted every Comfort and Advantage their Situations may demand, by admit¬ ting those into the House who may require peculiar At¬ tention, or may be the Subjects of the Operation for the Cataract, and by extending more widely and effectually the Help of Advice and Medicine to those whom it will not be necessary to take into the Infirmary.