- Email: [email protected]
Seventeenth Annual Report of the Almoners,
52
THE LANCET RELIEF FUND. operation on the 1st of February, 1889, has for its Almoners the President of the Royal Physicians (Sir RICHARD DOUGLAS PowELL, Bart., K.C.V.O., M.D. Lond.), the President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (Mr. JOHN TWEEDY), the President of the General Medical Council (Dr. DONALD MACALISTER, M.A., B.Sc., F.R.C.P.Lond.), Mr. THOMAS WAKLEY, F.R.C.S.Eng., Almoiters. and Mr. THOMAS WAKLEY, jun., L.R.C.P. Lond., with Sir HENRY PITMAN, M.D. Cantab., F.R.C.P. Lond., as Honorary Auditor.
Fund, THISCollege *-
-
which
came
of
into
of London
the
cases, it may be
of those seeking assistance and of those desirous of recommending deserving -FOR - useful guidance record that THE LANCET Relief is sustained solely by the Proprietors of THE LANCET, Fund
to
the
the
Scope of Fund.
every January immediate pecuniary
who
provide
.6300, which is administered free of cost, with the object of affording assistance to registered medical practitioners, or to their widows and orphans, in
sum
of at least
of distress and emergency, by the grant of money by way of loans free of interest, or gifts, as the circumstances of the various cases may require. In the case of widows and orphans, in order to come within the scope of the Fund, the death of the Husband or Father must have been of recent occurrence.
zWHEN ’
cases
the Fund
been
was
inaugurated
misapprehension
precise objects for which it applications, being cases of chronic distress,
existed
as a
Chronic O(tses Almoners still receive applications for assistance for
ineligible.
as
to the
result, the majority of the earlier coming, therefore, under the designation of emergency, could not be entertained.
established, and, not
considerable
cases
character, thought advisable to append a statement appeared in THE LANCET of Feb. 16th, 1889 :it is
which
concerning
are cases
had and
As the
of a chronic of this nature which
obviously
"We are requested by the Almoners to state that, from the character of a number of the applications received, both personally and by letter, for relief, it is evident that in many cases the object for which this Fund has been established is not quite clearly understood; and if relief had been afforded in the cases of those who suffer from chronic distress the Fund would have been completely exhausted within the first few days of its existence. They would therefore be greatly obliged if those readers of THE LANCET who may be asked to endorse applications would carefully peruse the Application Form and explain the precise object of the Fund to those applicants whose cases do not seem to come within the scope of the purpose for which the Fund has been established, which is to afford prompt aid to registered medical practitioners, or to the widows or orphans of members of the profession, who, in consequence of the supervention of some unexpected emergency, which is not likely to recur, have pressing need of immediate and temporary pecuniary relief "-
And who, it may be
again pointed out,
are
likely to be
benefited
Seventeenth Annual For the year
permanently thereby.
Report of
ending
IN presenting their Seventeenth Annual Report the Almoners have to record that the balance in hand on Dec. 31st, 1904, was
the
Almoners,
December 31, 1905. Many expressions of gratitude for the assistance afforded applicants have been received by the Almoners ; and it is a pleasure to record that in several instances the timely help that the Almoners have been able to give has been the means of averting consequences which could not fail to be disastrous to the applicants had their appeals not met with a ready to
In this connexion it may be mentioned that one the notice of the Almoners threatened the a practice, and the ruin of the practitioner who had worked hard to keep it together during a period of depression, unless a sufficient sum were forthcoming to pay off pressing domestic creditors. Within three hours of the application being received the Almoners had considered the case, doubled the amount of help asked for, and saved the applicant and his family from having the means of their livelihood taken away from them. Several other instances of equally prompt relief might be cited ; but they are referred to only in order to emphasise what is to the Almoners a pleasing feature of the Fund which they are called upon to administer -immediate relief in urgent cases. Of applications of a " chronic" character there are still far
response.
brought to breaking up of case
53 A large number have again been rejected, and in the inability of the Almoners to assist has produced anything but complimentary replies. It is quite obvious that the assistance which the Almoners could give would mean only a few days’ or weeks’ temporary respite to cases of this character-no permanent good could possibly be effected; and it cannot be too emphatically reiterated that THE LANCET Relief Fund existsto meet cases of SM
some cases
recorded on the Minutes their warm appreciation of the valuable services rendered to the Fund by Sir William Church throughout the six years during which he acted as one of the Almoners. In conclusion, the Almoners desire to state that they will at all times be glad to have their attention called to any cases of genuine distress coming within the scope of the Fund but they trust that those recommending cases or giving testimonials will first take steps to satisfy themselves of the bona fides of such cases before endorsing them. In the administration of such a Fund as this the Almoners are of necessity largely guided in their decisions by the testimonials accompanying the applications.
(bignect)
January,
R. DOUGLAS POWELL.
JOHN TWEEDY.
DONALD MACALISTER. THOMAS WAKLEY, Jun.
THOMAS WAKLEY.
two.
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING DEC. 31st, 1905. DR. To Balance at the London and minster Bank, Limited Branch), Jan. lst, 1905
s. d.
west-} (Westminster .........
"
Proprietors of THE LANCET,
"
Repayment of
...
Jan. lst, 1905 ...
Loans :Case No. 591
...............
"
Cheque unpresented (Case
No.
661)
......
225
2
3
300
0
0
0 15
0
20
0
Q
I find by the Bankers’ Book that the actual Balance on Jan. lst, 1905, to the credit of the Fund was 225 2s. 3d., to which the sum of k300 was added by the Proprietors of THE LANCET on Jan. lst, 1905. The balance at the Bank on Dec. 31st, 1905, was the sum of E232 13s. ld. I have also checked the receipts fo disbursements and find the above account strictly accurate.
January lst, 1906.
HENRY A. PITMAN, Hon. Auditor.
THE LANCET RELIEF FUND. operation on the 1st of February, 1889, has for its Almoners the President of the Royal Physicians (Sir RICHARD DOUGLAS PowELL, Bart., K.C.V.O., M.D. Lond.), the President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (Mr. JOHN TWEEDY), the President of the General Medical Council (Dr. DONALD MACALISTER, M.A., B.Sc., F.R.C.P.Lond.), Mr. THOMAS WAKLEY, F.R.C.S.Eng., Almoiters. and Mr. THOMAS WAKLEY, jun., L.R.C.P. Lond., with Sir HENRY PITMAN, M.D. Cantab., F.R.C.P. Lond., as Honorary Auditor.
Fund, THISCollege *-
-
which
came
of
into
of London
the
cases, it may be
of those seeking assistance and of those desirous of recommending deserving -FOR - useful guidance record that THE LANCET Relief is sustained solely by the Proprietors of THE LANCET, Fund
to
the
the
Scope of Fund.
every January immediate pecuniary
who
provide
.6300, which is administered free of cost, with the object of affording assistance to registered medical practitioners, or to their widows and orphans, in
sum
of at least
of distress and emergency, by the grant of money by way of loans free of interest, or gifts, as the circumstances of the various cases may require. In the case of widows and orphans, in order to come within the scope of the Fund, the death of the Husband or Father must have been of recent occurrence.
zWHEN ’
cases
the Fund
been
was
inaugurated
misapprehension
precise objects for which it applications, being cases of chronic distress,
existed
as a
Chronic O(tses Almoners still receive applications for assistance for
ineligible.
as
to the
result, the majority of the earlier coming, therefore, under the designation of emergency, could not be entertained.
established, and, not
considerable
cases
character, thought advisable to append a statement appeared in THE LANCET of Feb. 16th, 1889 :it is
which
concerning
are cases
had and
As the
of a chronic of this nature which
obviously
"We are requested by the Almoners to state that, from the character of a number of the applications received, both personally and by letter, for relief, it is evident that in many cases the object for which this Fund has been established is not quite clearly understood; and if relief had been afforded in the cases of those who suffer from chronic distress the Fund would have been completely exhausted within the first few days of its existence. They would therefore be greatly obliged if those readers of THE LANCET who may be asked to endorse applications would carefully peruse the Application Form and explain the precise object of the Fund to those applicants whose cases do not seem to come within the scope of the purpose for which the Fund has been established, which is to afford prompt aid to registered medical practitioners, or to the widows or orphans of members of the profession, who, in consequence of the supervention of some unexpected emergency, which is not likely to recur, have pressing need of immediate and temporary pecuniary relief "-
And who, it may be
again pointed out,
are
likely to be
benefited
Seventeenth Annual For the year
permanently thereby.
Report of
ending
IN presenting their Seventeenth Annual Report the Almoners have to record that the balance in hand on Dec. 31st, 1904, was
the
Almoners,
December 31, 1905. Many expressions of gratitude for the assistance afforded applicants have been received by the Almoners ; and it is a pleasure to record that in several instances the timely help that the Almoners have been able to give has been the means of averting consequences which could not fail to be disastrous to the applicants had their appeals not met with a ready to
In this connexion it may be mentioned that one the notice of the Almoners threatened the a practice, and the ruin of the practitioner who had worked hard to keep it together during a period of depression, unless a sufficient sum were forthcoming to pay off pressing domestic creditors. Within three hours of the application being received the Almoners had considered the case, doubled the amount of help asked for, and saved the applicant and his family from having the means of their livelihood taken away from them. Several other instances of equally prompt relief might be cited ; but they are referred to only in order to emphasise what is to the Almoners a pleasing feature of the Fund which they are called upon to administer -immediate relief in urgent cases. Of applications of a " chronic" character there are still far
response.
brought to breaking up of case
53 A large number have again been rejected, and in the inability of the Almoners to assist has produced anything but complimentary replies. It is quite obvious that the assistance which the Almoners could give would mean only a few days’ or weeks’ temporary respite to cases of this character-no permanent good could possibly be effected; and it cannot be too emphatically reiterated that THE LANCET Relief Fund existsto meet cases of SM
some cases
recorded on the Minutes their warm appreciation of the valuable services rendered to the Fund by Sir William Church throughout the six years during which he acted as one of the Almoners. In conclusion, the Almoners desire to state that they will at all times be glad to have their attention called to any cases of genuine distress coming within the scope of the Fund but they trust that those recommending cases or giving testimonials will first take steps to satisfy themselves of the bona fides of such cases before endorsing them. In the administration of such a Fund as this the Almoners are of necessity largely guided in their decisions by the testimonials accompanying the applications.
(bignect)
January,
R. DOUGLAS POWELL.
JOHN TWEEDY.
DONALD MACALISTER. THOMAS WAKLEY, Jun.
THOMAS WAKLEY.
two.
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING DEC. 31st, 1905. DR. To Balance at the London and minster Bank, Limited Branch), Jan. lst, 1905
s. d.
west-} (Westminster .........
"
Proprietors of THE LANCET,
"
Repayment of
...
Jan. lst, 1905 ...
Loans :Case No. 591
...............
"
Cheque unpresented (Case
No.
661)
......
225
2
3
300
0
0
0 15
0
20
0
Q
I find by the Bankers’ Book that the actual Balance on Jan. lst, 1905, to the credit of the Fund was 225 2s. 3d., to which the sum of k300 was added by the Proprietors of THE LANCET on Jan. lst, 1905. The balance at the Bank on Dec. 31st, 1905, was the sum of E232 13s. ld. I have also checked the receipts fo disbursements and find the above account strictly accurate.
January lst, 1906.
HENRY A. PITMAN, Hon. Auditor.