The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-20 00:00:00

door poor before the board, except on

MAKING THS WORKHOUSE A LYING-IN HOSPITAL.

Mr. Batten then called the attention of the board to the
number of women who were sent into the workhouse to be
confined. In an affiliation case, which he had read in the
newspapers, it appeared that the father of the child had
recommended the female to go into the workhouse to be
"nod, and to state that she was a married woman,
be workhouse into a lying-in hospital,
ch it was never intended. He was afraid ther.
were a great number of

converting

object

such cases, and he thought, although
he should not make any motion on the subject, that such a
system should be put a stop to.
Mr. Edwards thought that the relieving officers should
be instructed in the matter. They should not advise women
to go into the house to be confined; but rat'oer relieve them
out, because such a system had a tendency to make both
the woman and child paupers, and when they once became
paupers they remained so all their lives. Besides, it only
made the workhouse a lying•in hospital.
Mr. Callis agreed with the remarks of the tv _ _
speakers, and suggested that the relieving officers should be
instructed how " •

,? Some few weeks since, at a meeting of this board, several
guardians were requested to investigate a charge of neglect
to a pauper, by Mr. Stevens, one of the medical officers of
the union. These gentlemen had fully investigated the
matter, but, owing to the conflicting statements made by
the accuser and the accused, they deemed it right that the
whole matter should be brought before the board, and that
their decision should be had on the matter. Consequently,
yesterday, all the parties were in attendance.
Before the case was gone into, Mr. Evans, who moved
for the committee, and whose name had been prominently
mixed up in the matter, said he wished to be exonerated
from taking any personal part to the prejudice of Mr.
Stevens. He had known Mr. Stevens for some years, and
he had only known him to respect him; but, as a guardian,
he had a higher and another duty to perform, and he felt it
his duty to have the whole subject investigated, and he
hoped it would receive that calm attention from the board,
which the motion required.

Mr. Stevens and the relieving officer (Latham) were then
called into the board-room. From the statement of the
latter, it appeared that, on the Bth of October, he was
called upon to visit a woman named Mary Ann
Kelly. He went; and found her very ill. On the
Thursday, he gave her a doctor's note, and he called
again on the Friday, when he was told that Mr. Stevens had
been to her on the Thursday night. He called again on the
Saturday, when he was told-that Mr. Stevens had not been to
sea her,.. On..Motdav morning Mr. Stevens went with him
`to. the woman, whom they found very ill, and Mr. Stevens
said she was in a.fecer, and gave a certificate for her to he
sort to the hezpitr.l. This was about nice o'clock. The
woman objected to go to the hospital, and begged to remain
at borne for one day longer, saying that she might get bet-
.

ter, as she was not suffering from fever, but from inflama-
tion of the bowels. At eleven o'clock he went to Mr
Gilmour, another medical officer, and, on his behalf,
requested him to go and see the woman, which he did, and
he stated that it would be dangerous to remove her, as she
was suffering from inflamation of the bowels.

Mr. Stevens then put several questions to the officer, and
produced book, from which it appeared that he bad
attended the pauper on the Friday ; and stated that he
found her sufferinz from fever to such a degree that she did
not know any thing or any body. Afterwards she suffered
from inflamatiun of the bowels. Mr. Stevens then wished
to know what was the charge against him ?
The Chairman replied that there was no charge.

Mr. Edwards :

is either charged with neglect or

nothing—we an

upon to say wheth&r he has nik,

lected his duty or not.

The pauper Kelly was then ealted upon, and she fully
I the statement made by Latham, and persisted
that Stevens had not attended to her on the Friday, and
that she had told him that she had intimation of the bowels
and not fever, and stated that he had neglected to attend to
her.

porroborote

Two females were called, but they added but little light
to the subject, except that one of them stated, that Mr.
Stevens had refused to attend upon the pauper, and said she

was not like a paying patient

er some conversation, Mr. Gilmour was called in, and
laving understood that Mr. Stevens had