The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-07 00:00:00

BRIGHTON UNION.

Mr. D. Richards, the medical officer of the
Brighton Union, applied lately for au increase of
salary ; and, at a meeting of the guardians on Aug.
18th, the following report was presented by the
Officers' Duties Committee. AVe give it in full, as
it contains in brief a very instructive outline of the
manner in which the duties of a workhouse medical
officer may be increased.
Your committee have had under consideration
the matter referred to them, and find that Mr.
Richards was appointed medical officer of the work-
house and industrial schools in March, 1864, the
salary assigned to him for his duties connected with
the workhouse being £lOO per annum, and for the
schools £7O per annum, all drugs and medical ap-
pliances being provided by the directors and guar-
dians. The grounds on which Mr. Richards solicits
an augmentation of his salary appear to be the great
increase iu the average number of inmates of
the workhouse and schools, as well as in the
number of sick inmates attended daily by him,
and an increase of special duties, amongst which
may be enumerated-1. An outbreak of small-pox
in the year 1866, during which be attended about
150 patients at the workhouse, many of whom were
admitted to the wards, not as paupers, but with a
view to check the spread of the disease in the
localities where it originated. 2. An epidemic of
cholera also in the year 1866, when the wards were
thrown open to all persons attacked. At this
period Mr. Richards was constant iu attendance,
day and night, and no special remuneration was
awarded to him for his services, as in the case
of the out-door medical officers. 3. The increase
in the number of insane and imbecile inmates of the
workhouse. At the date of Mr. Richards's appoint-
pointment, the number of this class of inmates was
18 ; at the present time they amount to 32, and the
medical officer is required to make quarterly re-
turns to the Commissioners in Lunacy of all such
cases, with particulars of their mental condition
etc. 4. The workhouse medical officer is now called
upon to make half yearly reports to the Poor-law
Board of all cases attended by him in the infirmary,
and of the general state and condition of the esta-
blishment. 5. Increase of duty in writing pre-
scription lhts, the diet book, and the
weekly list of sick persons wider me di-
cal treatment, ctc., which duty has now be-
come so heavy as to oblige the melical officer to pay
a person to assist him in his work. 6. The increase
in the number of serious cases in the infirmary and
midwifery cases, the latter being in many unions
and parishes cansidered extras, and paid for as such.
7. The supervision of the removal of the sick to the
new workhouse, and their re-classification iu the
wards assigned to them. 8. The recent epidemics
of itch, whooping cough, and measles at the indus-
trial schools, involving the medical officer's attend-
ance every other day, instead of twice a week as at
ordinary times.
The report went on to state that the average ,
number of inmates of the workhouse, schools, and
infirmary had increased since the year 1863, by
upwards of 150 ; and also to state what was the
workhouse accommodation and amount of medical
Officer's salary in about twenty metropolitan
and provincial parishes and unions, the amount
varying from £350 to £105; and concluded
thus :—Your committee, after carefully con-
sidering all the facts elicited during their inquiry,
and having regard to the amount of salary paid
to other workhouse medical officers, recom-
mend the board to augment Mr. Richards' salary
to the extent of £5O per annum, in the following
proportions—viz., £4O for the workhouse and £lO
for the industrial schools, such augmentation to be
subject to the approval of the Poor-law Board.

The recommendation of the committee was con-
firmed, several of the members expressing a high
opinion of the manner in which Mr. Richards per-
formed his duties. One gentleman (Mr. Philips)
observed that, is his opinion, the supply of medi-
cines by the workhouse and not by the medical
officer was a great improvement. It was a bad
system for a parish medical officer to find medicines,
especially in a large parish like Brighton. The
Poor-law Board had insisted on great improvements
being effected in workhouse infirmaries throughout
the country, and Brighton must not lag behind.
We must not be too economical in a matter of
this kind. If it were possible to more quickly
alleviate pain by the use of expensive medi-
cines, then it was right and the duty of the
Board to furnish such medicines. lie wished
to take the opportunity of suggesting that
the board should adopt a similar system with re-
gard to the out-door poor to that of the indoor poor,
namely, that they should furnish all medicines sup-
plied to them.
We rejoice to find that liberality and justice
both to their medical officers and to the poor pre-
vail in the Brighton Board of Guardians; and we
would point out their conduct as an example worthy
of being followed.—British Medical Journal.

The Standard makes great mistakes in deeypher-
ins, the letters of its American correspondent. Names and
places " come to grief," and we presume it is such a
mistake by which the New York Nation is made
to write au article supposed to be inspired by W. J.
Nagle in favour of Warren and Costello. The idea
of the Nation being inspired by a Fenian will scarcely
be received with satisfaction at 3, Park-place, Now York.
As we read what the correspondent assorted to be an
extract from the Nation with some surprise, we turned to
the last and some preceding copies of that paper without
discovering a word of the extract therein. There is some
error which ought to be corrected.
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