The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-09-25 00:00:00

THS PROPOSED DISPENSARY AT
BRIDPORT.

To the Editors.

It is a painful fact, that cannot but be evident on I
the slightest consideration, that Dorset, in com• I
parison with other counties, is lamentably deficient :
in works of common charity, and in institutions de-
voted to philautropic benevolence. It is true that
she may have had many harsh and unjust things said
of her in reference to her poor and industrial popula•
tion—their wageu and mode of treatment—much of
which has been palpably untrue, bat. nevertheless,
• stranger passing through her towns cannot but be
struck by the absence of buildings which denote at
once by their exterior the benevolent object for which
they were erected and medal maintained. and which
are justly regarded as the pride and glory of the
nation as • civilised and Christian country. It is,
therefore, with pleasure that the writer observes, by
a recent paragraph in yourjournti, that there is • pro-
bability of the inhabitants of Bridport moving in the
formation of a dispensary for that town, • boon Oil
even the county town, Dorchester, cannot now Won
The establishment of such an institution cannot but
commend itself to the sympathies of every one.
The probability, however, appears to be that the
project may be nipped in the bud from apathy, or
that its promoters may he discouraged from
launching out by fear of the probable expense. The
writor has for some yeas beam aounstiod with a
similar institution in the South of England, which
has as its first ;ale that "All classes of sick poor
(except such who may at the time of admission be in
receipt of parochial relief) shall be (wondered objects
of this institution, which in the conscientious opinion
of the recommending governor, are not in • capacity
to obtain medical relief at their own expense.%
"Subscribers of 10s. per annum are regarded as
annual governors and are entitled to have one
patient at all times upon the books." The utili-
tarian and comprehensive character of the in-
stitution in question, by this, is at once seen.
All classes of poor, not dependent upon parochial
relief, are eligible to participate in ire ad•
vantages ; and all clams, in the absence of sectarian
interests, manifest an interest in contributing
to its support. Its operations are conducted over an
area of twenty.one partible', comprising • district of
many miles in extent, and • population of about
30,000. By the report of the past year the writer
finds that 2,235 persons have been relieved by
medical attend/Lace and moderns* through its agency.
and 1,049 patients cured • that no less than 16,157
prescriptions have been i;tade up and dispensed by
the dispenser, 319 teeth extracted, and 26 trusses
supplied gratuitously. And the whole of this haa
been effected by the small outlay of £273 lfis.
The whole of this amount hag been raised by the
annual subscriptions of governors, who become
entitled always to have one patient, for every 10s.
subscribed, upon the books. This gives them an
interest in its working. Tradesmen subscribe that
they may be able to recommend their customer.;
employers subscribe to have the same privilege for
their men • and Abets make up the requisite gum
from highr and purer modem ; and by annual
collection in various plaoes of worship within the
district; en that for many year, the institution has
continued to inneese its useful:me as well as
secure pormseent premises for its bead quarters,
and deposit (principally legacies that have been left)
• Lupines in the funds against any eventuality that
might miss to require it. "Example is better than
prompt," and the writer in referring to this instance
does so in the contideut hope that it may encourage
the promoters of the ides for the formation of a dis-
pensary Bridport. The writer apprehends that
£lBO per anemia would be amply sufficient to meet
the requirements that would be embraced in the
Bridport district, 300 subscribers at 10e, each, and
an anneal collection in each of the places of worship
and the reqeisite funds are secured. All that would
then be required would be an ellicient and unsectarian
sommittee to carry out the details. If • could fund in
addition be raised to wore • small building, with •
hones for the dispenser attached, so that he could
always be on the spot night and day, as in the in-
stincts referred to, so much the better. Surely there
mu thous sufficiently alive to the importaece of so
good a work not to let the project in Bridport
die out for the want of their sympathy and support.
A very smell effort is all that is needed and success
is certain. _

Yours obediently,
OBSERVER.
Sept. Itith, 1566.

etntral Ntiss.

PAILIAMIXT ban been further prorogued to the Xel
of November.

Tan Om! Eastern arrived at Liverpool on Wednes-
day morning.

A forthcoming exhibition of wet-nurses (!) is an-
nouneed in the Paris papers.
Toll Donmow ditch of bacon is to be presented in
October. It has been aloisiod by 15 happy couples.

A Bvanri of colliers at the Thorneliffe collieries. near
Barnsley, has , unlimited, after lasting twelve monthn.
The demands of the men have been soneeded in every.
muse. ml strike ill said to have sod the trades' union
E. 5,000.

Ws Imre. upon the anthotity olt the Oloweerel, thet
it it tb• Jute:dile oi the Goverament to weer the
hoooor of knighthood oo Messrs Ceasing end Glue,
for their osrviee, i eessiertiow with the 4111110411 Teki-
-0410.