The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-10-25 00:00:00

the fitouqribge qserber.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1873.

t •' HE DISPENSARY SUNDAY

kOR STOURBRIDGE.

To-day and to-morrow there will be eollec-
tioug throughout the dodriet, towards the funds
if o, io. LL o4pital at Dudley, and doubtless
S a 11 will he collected in aid of that excel-
addi.ion to the oon4ideriible
le • • • .lli ii uiscrt., e. I . It '

I 3 I, 14 II

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bus But there is • homely proverb
w eel ewe that " Charity begins at home," and
whit-it see at.: eubscribing to the funds of the
Guest tiespitel, we ought not to overlook the
claims of an institution nearer home which has,
in a quiet, unobtrusive way, been ministering
te the wants of the eick poor in our midst, for ,
several years past. Some may feel iucliued to !
depreciate the work that is achieved by dispen-
caries, as compared with that of hospitals; be-
cause the latter, in urgent cases, actually take
the sick and find thew hoard and lodging as
well as medical attendance. Time is true but
they must bear io ismiu,i that the number Of sick
so treated forum an exceedingly small minority,
as compared with those who only receive
medicine and medical advice, as out-patients.
To such as these oh dispeusary offers equal ad-
vantages with the boseitai, as at the former ,
medical advice, and—we bblieve, where it is
required—personal attendeuce at the houses of
the patients is provided. Sickness is a dread-
ful calamity in any houeehuld ; but when poverty
is already there its terrors are maguilied a
thousand-fold. There can be no question that
thousands of poor pereoos die every y eer in this
country tor the want ef pen per medical attend-
ance, and with the present high prices of fuel
and other necessaries of life we are sadly afraid
that the number of deethsamenget the siek poor
will be I,,Le,:y enstueated. is as very mole to
say that -vorking proolc scud mak.• a proinsiou
against. siclennas: but lei the ease where Working
men here done so by jolting the Foresters',
Odd-Fellows' or seine of the other excellent
societies which are established for this express
purpose, they must bear in mind that the medical
attendance secured in this way is only available
for the male adult members of the family eho
ere wt.:alters. lo the ease, therefore, where a
father of a young family has become a member
of such a society, he is the only person who is
en:itied to Any relief,nitelical or otherwise from
its Mud.,. And, perhaps, the very effort that
tie uas made to secure this provision has ex-
hausted tue outy available funds he may
have for the purpose of meeting such a
CO- usi.y as Homes, and, therefore, when his
aite er i.e.. are Mittel iii„ and he has to can
in a ilootur to attend them, he tie& the extre
deem en We purse too much for his slender
means, and the 1, very wide', this entails totally
preveets him from purchasing those little
luxuries which are required during the convale-
scence. Tile poor, knowing this, are terribly
afraid of calling in a doctor, and, consequently
frequent pat it off in the hope of a change for
the better until the malady has gained such a
head that when medical advice is at length
called in, the patient is beyond the hope of re-
covery. To such as these, the dispensary is an
incalculable boon, as it gives thew both ruedicai
advice and attendance gratis, without a heavy
doctor's bill looming in the future to distress and
barase them as to the means of paying it. We
are glad to see that the Foresters of this town
recognise these facts anti are inaugurating a
movement for a " Dispensary Sunday" on the
same principle which has been carried out with so
much success in reference to hospitms through-
out the country. We mast say that we heartily
wish the movement every success, and hope
that not only the Foresters, but the Odd-Fel-
lows, and other kindred societies throughout the
district will take the matter in hand, and make
the Stourbridge " Dispensary Sunday," the
glorious success which such a cause deserves.
At present the matter is only in embryo, but
we ere confident that temee 'ho have put their
bands to the plough ate Lot tee emu to look
back, 11.11 d Lunt now they (ewe taken the matter
in hand they eni leave ue stone unturned to
bring it to a successful lean«. In the report
that ea. been issued this week it is staled that
941 patients have received medical treatment at
the hands of the medical officers connected
with the Dispensary during the past year. This
will give some Mee of the etnount of good which
is being done by this institution. There are
941 poor persons who have received medical
ii,tyl‘Al red etveadauce, a great portion of who.
would peruaps have been unable to pay for it,
aua weiral, therefore, eit..er have had to go
without it aeogetner —or have reduced thew-

▪ to .he le—vci of paupers by calling in th,,
am A Lne parisu uootor ; the latter being an
taat ttloll3o,tB Of poor persons would
ra•
iher die thaw iocur. There can he gnestion
that sphere of uottUilleSl4 of toe inalitution
cap • 1..14..1:. extended by increased funds.
e.ople, too, woo subscrihe in this
manner to Ste lands will feel less delicacy aboui
avaiimg thela3,l,es of the advantages offered
by It, aa they id have toe consciousness of
haring done WIA4t lay in their power towards
enabliug it to carry on its good work. They
will not, f course, be able to supplement the
generous support which has been so freely ac-
corded to the Dispenaary by the gentry of the
town and neighbourhood ; but they will prove
themselves worthy of that generosity by con-
tributing their mites, and thereby showing their
gratitude and appreciation of the good that haa
been already effected.