The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-19 00:00:00

HOSPITAL FOlt SICK CHILDREN.

Yesterday a public meeting took place at the
Ilaraiver-square-romus, to promote the estahliAmeut of an
institution of this character at Chelsea.
Lord ASHLEY presided, and commeneed the proceedings
Ira reniarking on the necessity for such on institution as this.
Lord CARLISLE said the statistics of infant mortality
were the strongest arsunient which could be used in Pennr
of an institution like this.
The Bishop of LONDON stated that they were met
that day to supply a want which had been long felt in
this country. The population of this cast metropolis had
for a long period increased at the rate of 30,000 a year, but
the charitable institutions hail not increased to a propor-
tionate extent. Ile hail contrihuted 30 years ago to the
formation of the Dispensary for Children, and that institu-
' tion had dispensed its aid to 12,000, and in that number the
mortality was 1 in to, while it was 1 in 3d with respect to
other persons; but a dispensary could not render all the aid
that was required. The healing art with respect to young chit.
deem was far behind what it was with respect to adults. The
welfare of the poorer classes of society was peculiarly de-
pendent upon the state of their health, and no person could
sisit the poor without perceiving how their diseases were
aggravated by imprudent management. This institution
was intended to afford the means of treating their discuses
in a manner of which their own homes did not admit, and
it was to be expected that it would afford the means of ad-
vanciug the medical art by the opportuniti, it uttered for
ob-erying the diseases of childhood. A resolution was then
proposed to the meeting and carried, expressive of the
necessity for an hospital fur sick children king established
in the metropolis.
The Chairman basing retired, F. H. DIC:ExsoN, Esq.,
took the chair.
Sir U. butte, Bart., and Sir 3. CLAMP: added their tes-
timony to the want of such an institution in the autrwolis.
A resolution was then put to the meeting. and adopted,
sanctioning the establishment of an hospital for ehildn u.
Captain ACKEIILEY here interrupted the proceedings
of the meeting, and on the police making their appearance
he retired.
A gentleman connected with the Dispensary for Children
next addressed the meeting, and stated that that institution
had never been supplied with funds sufficient to enable
them to relieve in-patients, and was not suttleieutly sup-
ported. hut there was room enough for both institutions.
Dr. BURROWS remarked that if a child had an infec-
tious complaint among the affluent it could be confined to
its roost, and by the attention paid to it the disease cut
short, but in the family of the poor this could not be done.
and the infection spread to all in the same house, which be-
came a focus of disease to the whole neighbourhood; but,
by the iu,t,tutiou proposed, they would be taken away
front the place, and placed in an hospital where eve:y atten-
tion could be given to it. From his experience in a school
for training up young men attached to an hospital, he could
say that there were not coos 4 enough of this kind in the
general hospitals because there was no room. It required a
special knowledge of the diseases of childhood to know how
to treat them. One object of this institution was also to
train up nurses for children, and there w. re many mothers
who would gladly avail themselves of the servisys of such
permus.
The Rev. W. Ilarrison, Mr. Nolan. and Dr. West, sub-
sequently addressed the meetiug in support of the proposed
institution.

TUE OXFORD UNtreawrr COMMA:4ON. The
Duke of Wellington, Chancellor of the Univenity of Ox
ford, has. it is stated, signified to the Board of Heads of
Houses at Oxford, that it they .hould, in pursuance of the
legal opinions obtained from certain banisters, petition the
crown against the commission of inquiry tiversities,
they are to do so through the Secretary of State, o the uninstead of
I thrOugh himself as chancellor.