LIVERPOOL
1
1403 THE LEWISHAM LUNACY CASE. which, if it existed, "would be a breach of faith towards the subscribers who are led, by the rules, to believe " that the physicians and surgeons visit the home-patients, and who are therefore " entirely deceived." Dr. Ince then finds fault with our figures, and says that 25 per cent. of our so-called new patients are what are called "renewals," and ought, therefore, to be deducted from the total number of patients for the year. But a renewed letter is equivalent to a new case, because a sub- scriber has the option, at the end of each month, of either renewing it or giving a new one to another patient. In either case a fresh entry is made in the book, and, of course, to the medical attendant the work is the same whether a letter is used by one patient for twelve months or by twelve for one month. As regards the Finsbury Dispensary, the dis- trict, I believe, is much smaller and the gratuity larger than at the Surrey Dispensary. Our patients occupy a circle four miles in diameter, and it might take four hours to visit ten or twelve of them, whereas at the Pablic Dispensary (as I know from having done the work) they live within half a mile, most of them within a quarter, and the same number could be visited in less than two hours. Dr. Ince next asks us to imagine the state of things at the Surrey Dispensary to exist at Guy’s Hospital-a feat to which my imagination is quite unequal. At the latter the patients are all within its walls ; at the former they are scattered over a circle whose diameter is four miles. Guy’s Hospital is a school, and the patients are object-lessons for teachers and pupils. The Surrey Dispensary is not a school, but a charity, and the patients are not selected typical cases for clinical teaching, but for the most part such as would not be admitted at Guy’s Hospital - cases of phthisis, chronic bronchitis, chronic rheumatism, chronic heart disease, chronic dys- pepsia, measles, old age, and starvation. Our resident medical officer is not house physician or surgeon to any hospital, but he has been both, and has held responsible public appointments since, so that he is as competent to diagnose and treat disease as the physicians and surgeons themselves. On all points, therefore, Dr. Ince’s comparison of our dispensary with Guy’s Hospital is a complete failure, as all comparisons of totally dissimilar things must be. I am, Sirs, yours truly, Trinity. square, S.E., May 21st, 1894. D. HOOPER, B.A., M.B. Lond., Physician to and Life Governor of the Surrey Dispensary. P.S.-The number of visits to home-patients for the year ending April, 1894, was 4204. %* We have received from Dr. Ince, in support of his letters, a copy of the rules of the Surrey Dispensary, and other C3mmunica,tions upon the subject, but pressure upon our space precludes us from admitting further correspond- ence on the subject to our columns.-ED. L. THE LEWISHAM LUNACY CASE. To the Editors of THE LANCET. SiRS,—It will be within the recollection of your readers that at the time the inquiry was being held at the instance of the Local Government Board Mr. J. M. Williams made numerous charges affecting the conduct of Messrs. Duke and Beaumont. In dismissing with costs yesterday the action brought against these two gentlemen Mr. Justice Wills said (I am quoting from the transcript of the shorthand notes of the judgment), "but it seems to me their [the defendants’] proceedings were marked by humanity and by deliberation, and anything but a hasty or impatient consideration of the case. " In justice to my clients I will ask you to give currency in your columns to this expression of judicial opinion.-I am, Sirs, your obedient servant, THOS. J. SAVAGE, Defendants’ Solicitor. Ludgate-hill, May 25th, 1894. LIVERPOOL. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) The Library at the Liverpool University College. AT the half-yearly meeting of the Court of Governors of the Liverpool University College it was stated inter alia that all the shelves in the galleries of the library were now stocked with books. These have been purchased with the sum generously presented to the College by Mr. Henry Tate, which was alluded to in a previous letter. The benefits of the gift have been distributed, as far as possible, propor- tionately over all the departments of learning, and are highly appreciated alike by the professors and students. Suicide at a Police Station. On May 18th a man asked one of the keepers of Sefton Park to take him to Lark-lane Police Station, which the keeper did. On arrival at the station the man, who appeared to be in drink, told the inspector he wanted pro- tection. He was kept in the office and an officer was sent to his residence to inform his relatives where he was. While the officer in charge of the office was writing at the desk he heard a peculiar sound behind him, and turning round saw the man cutting his throat with a pocket-knife. He at once took the knife from him, and, seizing the wounded vessel, held it till the arrival of Mr. Taplin, but the deceased died in a few minutes. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict of temporary insanity. H. M. Prison, Walton, and Exeezatiorts. The building now known as H. M. Prison, Walton, was erected as the borough goal of Liverpool on land which was bought in 1847 at a cost of 288 per acre. It was not completed till 1855, the prisoners being removed to it on Sept. 1st. It has never been the scene of any public executions, which took place outside the county gaol at Kirkdale, nor did any execution occur until a few years ago, when Elizabeth Berry was executed for the murder of her daughter by poisoning her with sulphuric acid. In consequence of Kirkdale Gaol having been closed all execu- tions now take place at Walton in a place recently con- structed for the purpose, with all the improvements sug- gested by the Royal Commissioners appointed to inquire into the subject some years ago. It was used on May 22nd for the execution of a man convicted at the last assizes of the wilful murder of his paramour. The prisoner and his victim both lived in Walton, and it is to be hoped that his fate and that of the woman executed last month for the murder of her husband will deter others from committing such atrocious crimes. All the executions within Walton Prison have passed off without any difficulty or accident. - Bospt Saturday. Hospital Saturday has come and gone. The result is not known as yet, but it is hoped that the total of the Sunday and Saturday Funds may equal that of last year. More can- not be expected in the present depressed condition of trade and commerce. The Saturday collection was changed from January to May in the expectation that the brighter and warmer weather would, by lessening the expense of fires, leave working men with more to contribute, but the cold of the present month has been quite exceptional. May 28th. _______________ BIRMINGHAM. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Hospital Saturday. STRENUOUS efforts have been made on this occasion to exceed the collections of previous years. Owing to the opening of Marle Hall, Llandudno, as a convalescent home for women, additional interest was manifested in the endeavour to raise a sufficient surplus for the maintenance of this establishment. Over 400 ladies gave their services at stands in the streets and railway stations. The day was cold, wet, and unpropitious ; the lack of sunshine did not diminish the zeal of the collectors, but their persistency seemed to show itself in proportion to the severity of the weather. A sense of duty prompted them to defy the elements and to increase their zeal as difficulties arose. The total amount now stands at 10,675 2s. 4d., as against 10,633 17s. 10d. collected up to the corresponding period of last year. The number of subscribers who have paid this year is 1337, as against 1376 last year. The hope is expressed that as the remaining subscribers pay in their amounts a substantial increase will be shown. -3-redical Benevolent Society. The seventy-second annual meeting of this society was held on May 25th under the presidency of Dr. Wyer of
Transcript of LIVERPOOL
1403THE LEWISHAM LUNACY CASE.
which, if it existed, "would be a breach of faith towardsthe subscribers who are led, by the rules, to believe " thatthe physicians and surgeons visit the home-patients, andwho are therefore " entirely deceived." Dr. Ince thenfinds fault with our figures, and says that 25 percent. of our so-called new patients are what are
called "renewals," and ought, therefore, to be deductedfrom the total number of patients for the year. But arenewed letter is equivalent to a new case, because a sub-scriber has the option, at the end of each month, of eitherrenewing it or giving a new one to another patient. In eithercase a fresh entry is made in the book, and, of course, to themedical attendant the work is the same whether a letter isused by one patient for twelve months or by twelve forone month. As regards the Finsbury Dispensary, the dis-trict, I believe, is much smaller and the gratuity larger thanat the Surrey Dispensary. Our patients occupy a circle fourmiles in diameter, and it might take four hours to visit tenor twelve of them, whereas at the Pablic Dispensary (as Iknow from having done the work) they live within half a mile,most of them within a quarter, and the same number couldbe visited in less than two hours.
Dr. Ince next asks us to imagine the state of things at theSurrey Dispensary to exist at Guy’s Hospital-a feat to whichmy imagination is quite unequal. At the latter the patientsare all within its walls ; at the former they are scattered overa circle whose diameter is four miles. Guy’s Hospital is aschool, and the patients are object-lessons for teachers andpupils. The Surrey Dispensary is not a school, but a charity,and the patients are not selected typical cases for clinicalteaching, but for the most part such as would not be admittedat Guy’s Hospital - cases of phthisis, chronic bronchitis,chronic rheumatism, chronic heart disease, chronic dys-pepsia, measles, old age, and starvation. Our residentmedical officer is not house physician or surgeon to anyhospital, but he has been both, and has held responsiblepublic appointments since, so that he is as competent todiagnose and treat disease as the physicians and surgeonsthemselves. On all points, therefore, Dr. Ince’s comparisonof our dispensary with Guy’s Hospital is a complete failure,as all comparisons of totally dissimilar things must be.
I am, Sirs, yours truly,
Trinity. square, S.E.,May 21st, 1894.
D. HOOPER, B.A., M.B. Lond.,Physician to and Life Governor of the
Surrey Dispensary.P.S.-The number of visits to home-patients for the year
ending April, 1894, was 4204.%* We have received from Dr. Ince, in support of his
letters, a copy of the rules of the Surrey Dispensary, andother C3mmunica,tions upon the subject, but pressure uponour space precludes us from admitting further correspond-ence on the subject to our columns.-ED. L.
THE LEWISHAM LUNACY CASE.To the Editors of THE LANCET.
SiRS,—It will be within the recollection of your readersthat at the time the inquiry was being held at the instanceof the Local Government Board Mr. J. M. Williams madenumerous charges affecting the conduct of Messrs. Duke andBeaumont. In dismissing with costs yesterday the actionbrought against these two gentlemen Mr. Justice Wills said(I am quoting from the transcript of the shorthand notes ofthe judgment), "but it seems to me their [the defendants’]proceedings were marked by humanity and by deliberation,and anything but a hasty or impatient consideration of thecase. " In justice to my clients I will ask you to givecurrency in your columns to this expression of judicialopinion.-I am, Sirs, your obedient servant,
- - u -
THOS. J. SAVAGE, Defendants’ Solicitor.Ludgate-hill, May 25th, 1894.
LIVERPOOL.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
The Library at the Liverpool University College.AT the half-yearly meeting of the Court of Governors of
the Liverpool University College it was stated inter alia thatall the shelves in the galleries of the library were now
stocked with books. These have been purchased with thesum generously presented to the College by Mr. Henry Tate,which was alluded to in a previous letter. The benefits ofthe gift have been distributed, as far as possible, propor-tionately over all the departments of learning, and are highlyappreciated alike by the professors and students.
Suicide at a Police Station.On May 18th a man asked one of the keepers of Sefton
Park to take him to Lark-lane Police Station, whichthe keeper did. On arrival at the station the man, whoappeared to be in drink, told the inspector he wanted pro-tection. He was kept in the office and an officer was sent tohis residence to inform his relatives where he was. Whilethe officer in charge of the office was writing at the desk heheard a peculiar sound behind him, and turning round sawthe man cutting his throat with a pocket-knife. He at oncetook the knife from him, and, seizing the wounded vessel, heldit till the arrival of Mr. Taplin, but the deceased died in afew minutes. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict oftemporary insanity.
H. M. Prison, Walton, and Exeezatiorts.The building now known as H. M. Prison, Walton, was
erected as the borough goal of Liverpool on land which wasbought in 1847 at a cost of 288 per acre. It was not
completed till 1855, the prisoners being removed to it onSept. 1st. It has never been the scene of any publicexecutions, which took place outside the county gaolat Kirkdale, nor did any execution occur until a few yearsago, when Elizabeth Berry was executed for the murderof her daughter by poisoning her with sulphuric acid. In
consequence of Kirkdale Gaol having been closed all execu-tions now take place at Walton in a place recently con-structed for the purpose, with all the improvements sug-gested by the Royal Commissioners appointed to inquire intothe subject some years ago. It was used on May 22ndfor the execution of a man convicted at the last assizes of thewilful murder of his paramour. The prisoner and his victimboth lived in Walton, and it is to be hoped that his fate andthat of the woman executed last month for the murder ofher husband will deter others from committing such atrociouscrimes. All the executions within Walton Prison have passedoff without any difficulty or accident.
- Bospt Saturday.Hospital Saturday has come and gone. The result is not
known as yet, but it is hoped that the total of the Sundayand Saturday Funds may equal that of last year. More can-not be expected in the present depressed condition of tradeand commerce. The Saturday collection was changed fromJanuary to May in the expectation that the brighter andwarmer weather would, by lessening the expense of fires,leave working men with more to contribute, but the cold ofthe present month has been quite exceptional.May 28th.
_______________
BIRMINGHAM.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Hospital Saturday.STRENUOUS efforts have been made on this occasion to
exceed the collections of previous years. Owing to theopening of Marle Hall, Llandudno, as a convalescent homefor women, additional interest was manifested in theendeavour to raise a sufficient surplus for the maintenance ofthis establishment. Over 400 ladies gave their services atstands in the streets and railway stations. The day wascold, wet, and unpropitious ; the lack of sunshine did notdiminish the zeal of the collectors, but their persistencyseemed to show itself in proportion to the severity of theweather. A sense of duty prompted them to defy theelements and to increase their zeal as difficulties arose. Thetotal amount now stands at 10,675 2s. 4d., as against10,633 17s. 10d. collected up to the corresponding periodof last year. The number of subscribers who have paid thisyear is 1337, as against 1376 last year. The hope is expressedthat as the remaining subscribers pay in their amounts asubstantial increase will be shown.
-3-redical Benevolent Society.The seventy-second annual meeting of this society was
held on May 25th under the presidency of Dr. Wyer of
