POOR-LAW MEDICAL REFORM.

POOR-LAW MEDICAL REFORM.

Brown, therefore, opened up the track, and gentlemen who will undertake to call these meetings. The openings into one. The vagina was still regu- Pres...

206KB Sizes 1 Downloads 113 Views

Brown, therefore, opened up the track, and gentlemen who will undertake to call these meetings. The openings into one. The vagina was still regu- President has clearly cleiined with whom the interview is to larly plugged. Bozeman’s operation was performed on August be held, consequently those who wish to join have only to for17th; six sutures and a leaden button were used. The urine ward to me their subscriptions, and thus become members of escaped on the seventh day. On removing the button, it was the Association. The time having expired for the presentation of the returns found that one of the incisions made in dividing the adhesions

larger

one.

Mr.

made the two

had laid open the cervix uteri about an inch from the os, which to the President of the Poor-law Board, I will not trouble you was still in the bladder. Through this opening a sound could to send me any more. I am, dear Sirs, yours, &c., be easily passed into the uterus. On October 3rd, Bozeman’s RICHARD GRIFFIN. To the Poor-law Medical Officers. operation with five sutures, with the result of reducing the opening to the size of a pin’s head. On November 2nd, BozeP. S.-If members of Parliamentcould again be induced to man’s operation was again performed; but the urine escaped attend at the Poor-law Board at the interview, it would add the same night, and on November 4th the operation was re- much to the of the deputation in the opinion of the importance performed. When the button was removed on the ninth day, public. there was still an escape of urine through a very small openPoor-law Board, Whitehail, S.W., ing. As the parts had a healthy granulating appearance, she ’, was ordered to remain quiet in bed. A little urine escaped January 31st, 1859. that night, but none on the following day or night. From this DEAR SIR,—I am desired by Mr. Estcourt to inform you time she lost none, and freely passed it at pleasure. On Nov. that the return to Lord Elcho’s motion is made out and printed, 2th a most careful examination found every part firmly united, and that he will lay it on the table as soon as the House meets. and no sign of the old fistula. January 8th, 1859 She menHe will send you a copy of it; and he desires me to add, struates through the vagina, which she has not done for years. that you or anyone can get copies from the office for the The vagina itself is of normal size. She holds more urine than sale of papers, at the House of Commons, at any time after she ever could previously. Such a series of operations is not Thursday next. In reply to your letter of the 29th, he directs me to say, that likely to be required in any future case, as we can now more he proposes Thursday, the 24th of February, at one o’clock, effectually grapple at first with the difficulties. for the interview which you desire him to appoint with yourself and the other medical gentlemen with whom you act. I am, dear Sir, yours very truly, POOR-LAW MEDICAL REFORM. GEORGE F. BULLER. R. GrirBa, Esq. GEORGE __

12. Royal-terrace, Weymouth, Feb. 1st, 1859. much pleasure in laying before you the accompanying letter from the private secretary of the President of the Poor-law Board. The interview therein promised had its origin in a request I made prior to the issue of my letter of January 20th, but which was then declined. It is my intention to send round another circular letter as soon as possible after I have time thoroughly to examine the return moved for by Lord Elcho, the heads for which I furnished to his lordship. During the month of January, some of the officers of twenty unions which had not before joined the Association have been added to our ranks, and, in addition to these, very many new subscribers. The total number of the subscriptions received during the month is 488. Notwithstanding these accessions, I regret to say that from the number of our associates who have retired from the Poor-law service, in consequence of insufficient remuneration and other causes, we still have only a few more than 1500 names on our books. I had hoped that nearly all would have joined by this time, and still trust that a large increase of our numbers will take place prior to our interview with the President, and thus by unity of action give weight to our claims for redress of the grievances which have so long op-

GREAT BOUGHTON UNION. THE Medical Officers of the Great Boughton Union present their compliments to the Editor of THE LANCET, and will feel obliged if he can find space for the insertion of the enclosed remarks on the Scheme recently propounded by the President of the Poor-law Board, in the columns of his journal :In conformity with the wishes expressed in the circular of the Right Ron. the President of the Poor-law Board, we, the undersigned medical officers of the Great Boughton Union, beg to offer the followingremarks on the " Scheme for a sug. gested New Arrangement of Medical Relief:"— Wehave an insuperable objection to the principle which would annul existing appointments at a given period, inasmuch as our appointments are permanent, and we claim them as vested rights. This is clearly shown by the resolution of the House of Commons’ Committee, which was agreed to on the 5th of July, 1854, and which was to the following effect : " Your committee also recommend that every medical officer to be appointed after the 25th of March, 1855, should continue in office until he may die, resign, or become legally disqualified to hold such office, or be removed therefrom by the Poor-law Board." pressed us. In consequence of this resolution, the Poor-law Board "MeThe Poor-law Board have arranged the unions of England and Wales under eleven heads: in one of these divisions the dical Appointments Order" was issued, which, after stating salaries average 6s. 4½d. per head for each pauper; whilst in the objects of the Parliamentary Committee, went on to sayanother, they are only 2s. 0 3/4d; the salaries of the other divi- With a view of giving effect to this resolution, the Poor-law sions ranging between these two extremes. I have already Board have thought it their duty to issue the accompanying prepared a table showing these variations, but some of the order. The guardians will see that it has the effect of placing columns cannot be filled up until I receive the return moved the union medical office-,-, with regard to the tenure of his office, for by Lord Elcho, and therefore the publication of the table upon exactly the same footing upon which every other union must be deferred until I again address you. My great desire officer is already placed; an arrangement so natural in itself, is, that each of the eleven divisions should be fairly represented that it has, for some years past, been voluntarily adopted in at the forthcoming interview with the President, and that the more than half the unions throughout the country, not only meeting should not be either entirely metropolitan or provin- without practical inconvenience, but, as the Board believe, cial. The divisions are as follows:—1. The Metropolis; com- with real advantage to the administration of the Poor-law in prising parts of Middlesex, Surrey, Kent. 2. South-eastern those unions. The Board direct me to express their confident counties-Surrey (extra-metropolitan), Kent (extra-metropoli- hope that where a different arrangement has hitherto prevailed tan), Sussex, Southampton, Berkshire. 3. South Midland- the effect of the new order may be found equally satisfactory." We again find the same opinions expressed in the circular Middlesex (extra-metropolitan), Hertford, Buckingham, Oxford, Northampton, Huntingdon, Bedford, Cambridge. 4. Eastern- which accompanies the order of the 25th of May, 1857. TheEssex, Suffolk, Norfolk. 5. South-western-Wilts, Dorset, circular says-"The guardians are aware that the object of the Devon, Cornwall, Somerset. 6. West Midland—Gloucester, Board, in issuing the two general orders referred to, was to Hereford, Salop, Stafford, Worcester, Warwick. 7. North give effect to a recommendation of a Select Committee of the Midland - Leicester, Rutland, Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby. House of Commons on the subject. As, however, it has been 8. North-western-Chester, Lancaster. 9. Yorkshire-West found that those orders do not give full effect to this recon-iRiding, East Riding, North Riding. 10. Northern-Durham, mendation, the Board have felt it incumbent upon them to Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland. 11. Welsh- issue the present order in their place, for the purpose of carry’ ing out the views of the committee, as regards permanency of Monmouth, South Wales, North Wales. I hope meetings will be held in each of the divisions to dis- tenure, more completely and satisfactorily, as of making procuss the plan which I am now preparing to lay before you, and vision, in certain other respects, for cases with regard to which that you will then appoint deputies to represent you at the experience has shown that difficulties may arise." interview. I shall be happy to receive communications from These being the opinions held by the poor-law Board, and DEAR

SlRS,-I have

I

144