AN ACCOUNT OF THE LONDON INFIRMARY.

OF all Circumſtances that affect the Mind of Man with Compaſſion, Reaſons for the Inſtitu⯑tion. no one ſeems to touch it ſo nearly as the ſeeing our Fellow-Creatures labouring with Diſeaſes, and even periſhing under them for want of proper and timely Aſſiſtance; for who that is not ſavage in Nature can paſs regardleſs by thoſe Numbers of miſerable Objects, who daily preſent themſelves to us, and whoſe various Diſeaſes (were all other Motives ſilent) would be as ſo many Tongues, which at once ſpeak their own Anguiſh and ex⯑cite our Pity. As the Characteriſtick of the Engliſh is to be humane and beneficent, ſo no⯑thing [2]ſhews it more than Inſtitutions of a pub⯑lick Nature, ſuch as Hoſpitals and Infirmaries, which are here better regulated and ſupplied with Neceſſaries, than in any other Country what⯑ſoever. Some there are of Royal Endowment, and eſtabliſh'd Revenue, and others of more modern Inſtitution, erected and ſupported by the generous and voluntary Contributions of good and well-diſpoſed Perſons; but all theſe are by Experience known to be no ways ade⯑quate to the Numbers that ſeek Aſſiſtance from them; for as they can take in no more Patients than they have Beds, or give Medicine to more than what their Income will allow, many poor unhappy Creatures muſt be unavoidably loſt. For 'tis a Truth well known, that tho' the City of London is more populous, and by its Trade and Navigation, the labouring Part thereof are more ſubject to Accidents and Diſeaſes than the common People of Paris; yet it appears from the annual printed Accounts, that the Hotel Dieu alone contains more Patients at one time than all our Hoſpitals and Infirmaries together. If ſuch Proviſion is made for the diſeaſed Inhabi⯑tants of Paris, thoſe of London more imme⯑diately require our Regard; particularly, the Britiſh Manufacturers and Seamen, as they are [3]the chief Support of both our foreign and do⯑meſtick Trade.

The Strength and Security of Great Britain depending chiefly on its Naval Power, the Wiſ⯑dom of the Legiſlature has ſhewed a peculiar Concern for the Comfort and Happineſs of ſuch infirm and diſabled Seamen as have been en⯑gaged in the Service of the Royal Navy: But for Seamen imployed only in the Service of the Merchant, and trading Part of the Kingdom, or the Wives and Families of ſuch, in Diſtreſs by Sickneſs, no deſirable Publick Proviſion has yet been made, or particularly inſtituted for their Relief. Nor are our numerous, poor, in⯑duſtrious Manufacturers, and Artificers, or their Wives and Children, by any particular Dona⯑tions or Eſtabliſhment, ſufficiently provided for, under the Calamity of bodily Diſeaſes and Ca⯑ſualties; tho' in ſuch afflicting and melancholy Circumſtances, they are incapable of providing for themſelves or Families by their uſual Labour and Induſtry.

Theſe Conſiderations have induced many be⯑nevolent and publick ſpirited Noblemen, Gen⯑tlemen, Merchants and others to turn their Thoughts upon raiſing by publick Subſcription, a LONDON-INFIRMARY, where Britiſh Sailors in [4]the Merchants Service, their Wives and Chil⯑dren; and poor Britiſh Manufacturers, their Wives and Children; are daily admitted, and find Relief, in Diſtreſs by Sickneſs or Caſualties: And this without any Difficulty or Expence of Admittance.

In order to anſwer the Ends propoſed, Situation. a large Houſe was taken in Preſcot-Street, Good⯑man's-Fields, which Situation was judged the moſt convenient, as being near the uſual A⯑bodes of Manufacturers and Seafaring Men in the Merchants Service, and at a conſiderable Diſtance from any Hoſpital.

The Houſe is ſpacious and convenient, Regulation of the Houſe. con⯑tains about forty Beds, properly and airily diſ⯑poſed, is furniſhed with Linnen, and all ne⯑ceſſary Conveniencies. The Matron, a ſober and diſcreet Woman, has the Charge of the Houſe and Furniture; the Direction of the Nurſes, and other Servants; and ſees the Diet and Medicines adminiſtred according to Order. Under her, are Nurſes, and Watchers, in pro⯑portion to the Number of Patients, of experi⯑enced Honeſty and Tenderneſs, who are guided by written Orders to prevent Miſconduct of any kind. Proper Diet for the Patients has been ſettled by the Gentlemen of the Faculty [5]engaged in this Charity, and is fixed up in the Wards for the Satisfaction of the Patients and their Friends.

A Phyſician and Surgeon of Reputation are appointed, and attend daily, Phyſicians and Surgeons. from Eleven to One, without any Fee or Reward, and give their Advice to all ſuch poor diſeaſed Objects as think proper to come in thoſe Hours, whe⯑ther recommended or not; and other Phyſi⯑cians and Surgeons of Character attend and ad⯑viſe in all dangerous or extraordinary Caſes.

The Diſpenſary is furniſh'd with Drugs, Diſpenſary. which being firſt viewed and reported Good by a Committee for that Purpoſe, are bought at the beſt hand, and compounded at the Infirmary, where an Apothecary Reſides, who conſtantly and ſolely attends the Buſineſs thereof.

No Officers or Servants are permitted upon Pain of Expulſion to take of any Tradeſmen, Patients, or other Perſons, any Fee, Reward, or Gratification of any kind, directly or indi⯑rectly, for any Service done, or to be done, on Account of this Infirmary.

And as the Governors of this Charity are de⯑ſirous that the utmoſt Regard may be had to the Souls of the Patients, Chaplain. as well as their Bo⯑dies, a Clergyman of the Church of England has generouſly undertaken, without any Gra⯑tuity, [6]to read Prayers, and perform the other Duties of his Function, at the Infirmary.

Every Subſcriber of five Guineas Yearly is a Governor of this Charity, Qualification of a Gover⯑nor. and is intitled to ſend in as many Patients as there are Vacancies of Beds; but if they can't be received as In-Patients, they are relieved as Out-Patients. Every Gentleman giving a Benefaction of thirty Guineas at once, will be a Governor for Life.—All Subſcriptions are during Pleaſure, and ſmaller Sums, from well-diſpoſed Perſons, will be thankfully receiv'd and acknowledg'd.

Four Governors in Rotation every Month, Buſineſs of Governors. with any others that are pleaſed, attend Weekly, in order to receive, and diſmiſs Patients, ſuperviſe the Proceeding of the Houſe, and do ſuch Buſineſs as is uſually done by Committees at other Hoſ⯑pitals, and report the ſame at the next Quar⯑terly or General Meeting. There is a General Meeting of the Governors every Quarter, before whom a Report is made from the Weekly Committees, all By-Laws are then Confirm'd, all Vacancies fill'd up, and Accounts Audited. Alſo an Annual General Meeting of all Sub⯑ſcribers to Reviſe and Confirm the General Account of Proceedings, which will immedi⯑ately after be publiſh'd for the Satisfaction of the Publick.

The Accounts are kept in a regular mercan⯑tile Manner, and the Names of the Patients, their Employment, Place of Abode, Diſorder, the Iſſue of the Caſe, and the Name of the Subſcriber who ſent them, are inſerted in ſe⯑veral Columns in a Book for that Purpoſe; and are always ready for the Inſpection of Sub⯑ſcribers, as alſo the Statutes and By-Laws for the particular Regulation of this Infirmary.

All poor, ſick, and lame, Proper Ob⯑jects. who are recom⯑mended, or appear to the Committee to be truly neceſſitous, are received from the Hours of Eleven to One, who are ſupply'd with Ad⯑vice, Medicine, Diet, Waſhing, Lodging, and every comfortable Aſſiſtance during their Cure. No Perſons with incurable or infectious Diſ⯑tempers, or of known Ability to pay for their Cures, are admitted to partake of this Charity; but all Accidents are received at any Hour of the Day or Night.

This is the Plan of our Proceedings, and tho' this Work is but in its Infancy, yet ſuch has been the extraordinary Encouragement given to it, by Numbers of Diſtinguiſh'd Humanity, that we have the Satisfaction to aſſure the Pub⯑lick, that ſince the 3d of November, 1740, it has pleaſed God to bleſs us with ſuch Succeſs, that upwards of 2000 diſtreſſed Objects have [8]been Relieved at the London Infirmary, and from Labouring under the Oppreſſion of ſome of the moſt malignant Diſeaſes, and unhappy Accidents, have been re-inſtated in their Ho⯑neſt and Induſtrious Capacities of Working; whereby the Publick again enjoy the Benefit of their Labour; They, and their poor Families preſerved from Periſhing, and prevented from being a conſtant Incumbrance to the Commu⯑nity.

The Subſcribers are deſired to take Notice, that if any Patients ſhall not conform to the Rules of the Houſe, or are guilty of any Miſ⯑behaviour, they will be diſcharged for ſuch Ir⯑regularity, and never more relieved by this Cha⯑rity.

There was a Propoſal in the Daily Adver⯑tiſer of the 17th of May, 1738, for erecting an Hoſpital, Infirmary, Surgery, Chappel, and School, for relieving of poor, aged, and other⯑wiſe diſabled Seamen in the Merchants Service, their Wives and Children, by a Subſcription to be ſet on Foot amongſt the Merchants, Owners, Maſters, and Officers of Ships, and common Seamen, who were to pay certain Quarterly Sums according to their ſeveral Ranks, which, with the Contributions of worthy People, might have been ſufficient for the deſired End: As [9]the London Infirmary already begun, is calcu⯑lated to relieve all thoſe who are diſabled by Sickneſs or Accidents, and their Wives and Children, and anſwers that Propoſal in Part, and may be the Foundation of the Whole, we hope thoſe who had ſo charitably join'd in ſup⯑porting that Subſcription, will as readily intereſt themſelves in this, which, if it pleaſes God to continue his Favour and proſper the Undertak⯑ing, may in time, by ſuch Encouragement, be extended to the whole Benefit propoſed by that Advertiſement.

Such Perſons therefore as are inclined to en⯑courage and promote ſo laudable a Work, are deſired to ſend their Subſcriptions or Benefactions to Mr. Thomas Minors, Banker, in Lombard-ſtreet, who will give proper Receipts for the ſame: And any Perſon in⯑clined by his laſt Will to bequeath a Legacy to this Charity, is deſired to direct it to be paid to the Treaſurer for the Time being, of the London Infirmary in Goodman's Fields, and that his Receipt ſhall be a good Diſ⯑charge for the ſame.