The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-22 00:00:00

APPOINTMENT OP AN ASSISTANT MEDICAL OFFICER.

The Chairman thought the time had come when the
number of sick in the house required the appointment of
an assistant to Dr Nevins, the medical officer. There
was a vast number of sick cases during the winter,
and of late that number had greatly increased. Last
year, during the winter months, there were 183 cases
each week in the house, but during the present winter
that number had increased to 192. There was every
reason to suppose that, before the winter passed away,
the present number would be increased ; but even as it
was, the board, he hoped, would agree with him, that it
was impossible for one medical officer to pay that
attention to such a number of patients which it was their
right to have, and the duty of the guardians to supply.
They knew that Dr. Nevins always discharged his duties
well and efficiently • he did not ask for, an increase of
salary, but he asked that attendance to secure a proper
attention to- the sick, and that assistance he (the chair-
man) hoped the guardians would readily.afford.
MOT. Edwards concurred .with the chairman, and
expressed his readiness to move that permanent
assistance be given to the medical officer, in order that
full attention might be given to the sick in the house.
Mr. Lunt suggested, that. it would be better to have
one resident physician, than two medical officers who
would reside on side the house, and who would not be
at hand in cases of sudden sickness at night. .
In answer to a question,
The Governor said, that -vhen any urgent case occurred
at night, he always sent for Dr. Nevins.
Mr Shaw suggested that it would be well to defer the
matter until the question of the separation of the union
was settled. If that event took place,
.there would be a
great decrease of sick cases in the house, the majority of
them coming now from Toxteth Park, but even in that
event, he was not prepared to say that Dr. Nevin's would
not require an assistant. It would, however, be better to
wait and see.

Mr. Whitby did not think 200 patients too large a
number for one medical officer to attend to. There were
600 cases in the Liverpool workhouse,. and they were
attended to by two medical officers.

Mr. Shaw Yes, but there is a resident apothecary
also in the house.

Mr. Pitts suggested, that Dr. Nevins should make a
report on the subject.
The Governor : Oh, he will furnish a report, but you
won't be able to read it. (Laughter.)
Mr. Wilson said, that he saw by the porter's book that
Dr. Nevins attended only from one to two hours a-day.
lie should give more time to the duties, and then there
would be no necessity for an assistant.
Mr. Pitts observed, that there was no complaint that
Dr. Nivens did not now attend to his patients, in the
hoes?.

The. matter then dropped, on the understan3ing that
it should again be brought up next week.
A letter was received froth the poor law board, enclos-
ing a communication from Dr. Stevens, in reference to
a charge of neglect brought against hitn at the board.—
The explanation seemed quite satisfactbry.
Mr. Harrison observed that there were now twenty
boys in the house who were very anxious tc*go to sea.--
The governor did not know how to dispose of them,
becau4e the premium which the guardians gave was so
small that no respectable merchant would take boys
from the house as apprentices. The premium now given
was £5, and if that sum would not procure them a ship,
it should be increased to £lO. They were bound to
provide for the boys, and in no other way could it be
done.

The Governor said that be be had malty applications
for boys from parties nearly as poor as themselves. He,
however, always refused such applicants, because if the
boys were apprenticed to them, they would sooner lead
a life of vagabondism about the streets than live as their
masters lived, huddled together in some miserable cellar
kitchen. The premium was so small, 15 paid in sums
of £1 each year, that no respectable niaster would take
them.

After some conversation, it was agreed that the
governor should consult with some respectable shipping
master on the subject during the weet, and report to
the guardians at their next meeting.
The board then adjourned.

THL PARLIAMENTARY itioonTEns.--Another change in
the House of Commons is now being talked of. The
managers of our daily papers entert.in the idea that
one staff of reporters may supply the whole of. the
daily press. The expanse of the reporting staff of a daily
paper during the session is so enormous that when the
sale of the journal is reduced by the competition of
cheaper rivals, this is the department to which the keen eye
of managers is turned.—Correspondent of the Scarborough
Mercury.

THE BROAD GUAGB FROM SALISBURY TO SOUTHAMPTON.
—All the parliamentary forms in this 'undertaking have
been complied with. The subscription contract was signed
for £223,650, being £l3,6so`more than is required by the
standing orders of the house; and all the other documents
have been deposited at the Private Bill. Office: There are
400 subscribers' names, 380 of whom are locally interested.
This and the Bristol, Southampton, and South Wales are
n mimed to be the strongest contracts of the session.—
Wiltsh're Independent.

,AN ENEMY BY THE HEARTH.—ti rely nights since the
Great Northern Railway station at Lincoln narrowly escaped
being burnt down. In one of the rooms a large fire had
been left burning through the night for those who came by
the early morning trains. At five in the morning the
watchman smelt smoke, and discovered that the heated
hearthstone had set fire- to the rafters under the
,floor.
A house in Bond street, London, was nearly burnt down by
the same means a week ago. The sapient masons of some
years since had laid the hearthstone on pieces of wood, and
these became ignited.—The Builder. •
CHILDREN BURNED, SCALDED, AND SUFFOCATED.—
Inquests were held before the Manchester city coroner, on
Monday, on three children who had beeti fatally irtjurrd.
A little girl, two years old, was left in charge of her brother,
a boy about a couple of years older, whilst the mother went
to a butcher's shop. The 'child ignited its, clothing in her
absence, and died frOm the injuries received.—An infant,
twelve months old, fell out of bed,
.in the c thin of a boat,
and, in so doing, knockel a pan of water off the fire, which
so tided her to death—The third was an infant, left asleep
in a cradle downstairs by its nurse. In the morning it was
found__ with its face buried in the pillow, and quite dead.
MR. Jolly FROST AT LEICESTER.—Oa Monday evening,
Mr. Juhn Frost delivered a lecture "11 the Temperance-Hall,
Leicester, on the horrors oftrla
well filled. Mr. C ,uneil to r Markham leorrtoaotemicocniun.pi occupied Theth
eb body
chair, o f
the ha 1, which is the largest leentuspr " the town ywas
and introduced the lecturer as a gentleman who had been
identified with a cause he hitne,if had espoused for a great
number of years. • Mr. Frost then addressed theaessemb.belyt
for upwards of an hour and a half, illustratin
with a graphic description of convict life, ign thcludinsug itlete
: o
to
infamy,ent
carol'. of a Leicester yowl, who at one time had given
promise of ihtelligenca and respeet,bility,but who, on being
toaandellhaaid elony, had sunk to the lowest deeeptitnh become, even in the convict hang notorious
s
for every enormity. Mr. Frost appealed toe ra
support him in his application to be heard upon this subject
before a committee of the House of Commons.