Report of the Poor Law Commissioners, on medical charities, Ireland, pursuant to the 46th section of the Act 1 & 2 Victoria, C. 56. : Addressed to the most noble The Marquess of Normanby, Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department.

  • Ireland. Poor Law Commissioners.
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Poor Law Commissioners, on medical charities, Ireland, pursuant to the 46th section of the Act 1 & 2 Victoria, C. 56. : Addressed to the most noble The Marquess of Normanby, Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Appendix (B.) Reports of Assistant Comm issioiiers. No. 12. Dr. Corr’s Report on Medical Charities of Ireland. Fever Hospitals. The non-residence of the Medical Officer, who sometimes lives 6, 8, 10, or even 15 miles from the Dispensary, is another great defect; the fact also, that some Dispensaries are visited (even at those distances), but once, a few not oftener than twice, each week, must create doubts as to their present efficiency, the more particularly, when it cannot be denied that in many cases of accident or acute disease, a daily attendance is absolutely necessary. I have repeatedly ascertained that Subscribers are in the habit of obtaining Advice and Medicines from the Dispensaries, for themselves, their families, servants and tenants ; and, that subscriptions are often given upon the understanding that such should be the case, and moreover, that all tenants, rich and poor, of the Subscriber, should be relieved. Besides these, I learned that other unfit cases procure Dispensary Aid; thus, rich Farmers, holding large tracts of land, are often found amongst the Patients ; and it is a common occurrence in Towns,to hear that Shop-keepers are in the constant habit of giving tickets to persons well able to pay for Advice and Medicine, but who purchase some article from the Shop-keeper, and in return, receive the Dispensary Ticket. The Medical Officer seldom refuses to prescribe for and give Medicine to such Patients, being afraid that he might annoy and lose a Sub¬ scriber. The injustice of this practice bears both on the Rate-payers, whose funds are thus appropriated to wrong purposes, and on the Apothecaries, who under other circumstances, would have the sale of the required Medicines. Although in most instances, Committees of Management appear to be chosen, yet on inquiry, I ascertained, that they pay little attention to the affairs of those Institutions ; sel¬ dom meeting, not even, perhaps, to settle the annual accounts ; thus leaving the entire man¬ agement to the Treasurer or Medical Officer. The want of any means of providing that species of relief in Dispensary Districts, which can only be given with effect in the Wards of an Hospital, was much complained of, parti¬ cularly in rural Districts which are remote from County Infirmaries or Fever Hospitals, and I was repeatedly requested to record the feelings of the Subscribers on this subject. There is no regular scale of payment for the Medical Officer, whose remuneration, in various Districts, is not proportionate to the duties to be performed ; whilst it often happens that his Salary consists of the balance remaining after the discharge of all other claims upon the funds, ancl consequently, when, from decrease of subscriptions and County Grants, the funds are small, the Salary is extremely scanty. The difficulty in collecting subscriptions, hitherto existing to a great extent, has of late much increased ; and this duty frequently devolves upon the Doctor, to whose feelings its performance, according to the information I received, is not very consonant nor productive of profitable results. Since several complaints were made by Medical Officers of not being ref uncled subscriptions advanced by them, on the promises of repayment by Subscribers. The second order of Medical Charities which I wish to bring under your notice, includes those Hospitals especially intended for the treatment of the Poor when labouring under Fever, and my experience, from all I have seen and learned, induces me to state that they are by no means sufficiently numerous, nor calculated in many other respects to afford any thing bordering upon adequate relief. In many Districts (entire Counties for example) no such Institutions are to be found. In some Counties where small Fever Hospitals have been established, they appeared not to be fairly distributed in proportion to the population, and in general their benefits were either intended for a small surrounding District, or, at all events, they do not extend relief beyond such distance. This may depend partly on the circumstance that a prejudice exists in the minds of the people against going into distant Fever Hospitals, whereas they appear to have much confidence in the Hospitals in their respective localities, and gladly avail themselves of them. In proof of this I observed that, in some places where small temporary Fever Hospitals had been formerly erected, the benefit which they afforded was mentioned as an argument in favour of such Charities, coupled with expressions of deep regret that present circumstances admit not of the adoption of similar means. The larger Fever Hospitals in Towns are less beneficial than might be expected, relief being confined to a comparatively small circle, by regulations, which restrict the admission of Patients to those residing within a certain distance from the Hospital. Many examples were mentioned of the evils resulting, and of the spread of contagion consequent upon such restrictions, and several stratagems have been resorted to by the friends of the Sick, to make these Hospitals available to Patients living beyond the prescribed boundaries. Through my entire progress, I learned that Fever, which more or less prevails in every District, has in many, of late, been very prevalent; and that the results have proved most disastrous. It was universally remarked, that when Fever prevailed in a District, the people not only at that time, but for a long period afterwards, experienced the utmost want. No circumstance connected with this Inquiry struck me more forcibly, than the anxiety evinced by all parties to have Fever Plospitals established. In every direction I went, my attention was called to scenes of the most heart-rending nature, arising from the want of such accommodation, and to histories of destitution in entire families, the consequences of deaths (from Fever) of the supporting members, and in many instances, I was told that the most strenuous exertions had been made, in order to meet the exigency. The praiseworthy endeavours thus made, generally failed, owing to many causes. In some places, where subscriptions were collected to a certain amount, a sufficient sum could not be made up. In others, the usual grant was refused by Grand Juries and Road Sessions, on the grounds that it would not be fair to tax the County at large for these Local Hospitals. But the parties so refusing, strongly advocated the principle of establishing Local, Baronial, or Dis¬ trict Fever Hospitals. In many parts of the County, benevolent individuals were willing to