The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-07-14 00:00:00

•Y !me IPLIITioti rttsiEcirtiili tins rilitt

INSTIT.UtION.

The Committee, to whom the Petition of the several persons
whose name; are subscribed Omen, being Members of the
Society tor Bettering the Condition uf the Ponr,was referred;
anil who were empowered to report the matter of the said
Petition as it dIIOIII,I appear to them, with their obaemitions
thereupon, to the tinuae ms
Have, pursuant to the order of the House, exa-
mined the mattet to them referred ; and have agreed
to the following Report :
Sir Walter Fa:culler, M. D. havingbeen examined,
informed your Committee, that to his knowledge
arid experience the infatious fever was very preva-
lent in London, particularly among the poorer parts
in confined situations: That, from information,
which he repeatedly had, and on which he could
rely, he had reason to believe that more than 3,000
persons have annually died of it in and about Lon-
don. That there, can be no doubt that a house for
receiving patients in the fever, would. prevent the
spreading the infation : particularly if the houses
from which the patients are removed, were properly
cleaned and white-washed, and still more so, if the
bed cloaths, and also the patients cloaths, were burnt
immediately. That he had known the most fatal
consequences follow ft am the neglea of this precau-
tion, even in the instance of a single article coming
from an infected person. That he did not conceive
that an establishment, on a sufficient scale to answer
those beneficial purposes, could be formed in the
metropolis without public aid, and had no scruple to
say that he believed it impossible. That the inteaion
is likely to be generally communicated, by the ne-
cessary intercourse subsisting between servants and
other members of large families, with persons in the
lower classes of life, particularly among children,
and has found it necessary to lay it down as a rule
in families where he is consulted, that the nurses
should never have any communication with friends
in their own houses, or with others they may casually
meet. That there is good reason to hope, that by
the judicious, diligent, and persevering efforts of
such an Institution as has been alluded to, that the
infeaintis fever may be very considerably diminished,
and even in the end almost entirely extirpated from
:he metropolis. And that the extieCtion of the in-
feetious lever in the metropolis would very greatly
tend to prevent its taking place in those parts of the
country which have a communication with it, more
especially as the fever generally remains lurking in
the constitntam for some time before it prevents the
patient from travelling or following his nsual occu-
p itians. That it is of great importance. in the cure
of these fevers, to attend to them in an early stage ;
and general attention cannot be given to patients so
iefeeted in the wide extent of the metropolis, ex-
c..pt by the establishment' of an institution upon a
considerable scale, and very carefully ilireCted, so as
to be cepeble of receiving all the infected persons
who muy apply. That the poor, when in their own
houses, labouring under the infeCtious fever, must
always be attended by their friends with hazard,
and though some peculiar constitutions may escape,
in gene; s l the attendance must be highly dangerous.
Maxwell Geniis:rot e, M. D.having been examined,
also informed your Committee, that au institution
to prevent the spreading of contagious malignant
fevers, has been established within these three years
in Cray's-inn-lane-road, which, although upon a
very contrafted scale, previous to February last re-
ceived SYS fever patients, of whom 289 have been
dismissed cured, and the houses of many of them,
and others, purified, white-washed, and cleansed ;
£9 died, and 7 then remained in the house. That
he does not think the present establishment suffi-
ciently extensive, to remedy the evil of the infealous
fever in the metropolis. That a public institution
would afford means both of preventing and curing
the i»feetious fever, which cannot be praaised in the
houses of the poorer classes of society; but that he
o .1 pinion that a public institution, of sufficient
:ettee to semedy the evil in the metropolis, cannot
be Le ..folished by private subscription qnassisted by
eels:', aid. That it is of great importance that the
hue /jou: fever should be attended to in its early
stsges ; and that he believes that not one case was
ever token into this institution in an early stage,
which was not soon recovered, it being a disorder,
the prevention and cure of which are petfealy un-
derstood. That the infatious fever has prevailed
for a long course of years in some of the crowded
parts of the metropolis, in a more or less degree,
according to seasons and circumstances.
Thomas Bernard, Esq. having been examined,
likewise informed your Committee, that the London
Fever Hospital in Gray's-inn-lane was established
in May 1801, and a In we of recovery opened in
Gray's-inn-lane in Febrile: y 15.02. That great ex-
ertions have been made in evert, possible way to ob-
tain subscriptions, and yet the present funds are not
equal to the maintaining that small house on the
present scale. That the whole sum which has been
raised by donations and subscriptions has amounted
to 2,3781. the annual expenses of the house are be-
tween 6031. and 7001. and that the house is not
adequate to one-tenth part of the patients whet want
relief, as it contains only sixteen beds., Finding that
this establishment will not be adequate to the pur-
pose, the Society has begun raising a fund of 3,0001.
and i,6001. has already l),:en subscribed, upon con-
dition, that Parliament would grant such a sum, as,
ti: eether with those subsctiptions, would prove
effe(tual to the desired objelte
Uprm the whole, your Committee find that the
infatieus fever has been long prevalent among the
poor cf London, and that above 3,000 persons have,
on an average, annually died of it within the bills
of This
.
This evil appears to your Committee to have con-
tinued fur want of some regular system being adopt-
ed to check its proe:ess, and to purify the houses
and ether bt:i!,:i:.gs in which it has prevailed. In
Nla,;, 1 g for the core and preven-
tion of infi. Clieos fevers in the metropolis was esta-
eblished by the Society far Bettering the Conde ;on of
the Poor ; ant in Fein nary, I :04, a Loudon 11.,use
of Recovery was ripene.r. in which, although it con-
tains no more then see en beds, upwards of 320
fever patients Lave aloe...ee been cured.
This estaelislinteet 1.. :teen hitherto supported
by the contr.: butimie recriptions of insividuals,
and nearly the wt..; e,OOOl. so collated has
been expended up • ais extent of the institu-
tion ;wren re y • ;ttee iitsuiricient for the
attainment et ire . although great czer-