The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-02 00:00:00

MEDICAL REFORM

The Provincial. Medical, and Surgical Journal of Satur-
day contains a letter from our respected townsman, Doctor
Jeffreys, in which he vindicates most satisfactorily the in-
terest felt in this important question by all members of the
medical profession, and by those of Liverpool in particular.
" In this great and increasing mercantile town," he says,
" there would seem to be three causes which operate power-
fully to encourage this vexata questio,' Medical Reform.
" Ist. The supply of medical men, and medical talent, is
greater than the demand.
" 2d. The immense extent of gratuitous services, amount-
ing in Liverpool, annually, to little less than 80,000 indi-
viduals.

" 3d. The negligent remuneration which medical men arc
compelled to submit to."
To each of these heads he then addresses himself, and
upon each supplies facts, or observations, which certainly
leave a very strong impression on the mind that the medical
profession is very far from being placed on that footing in
this great town, which an avocation of so much dignity and
importance ought to be, as well for the protection of its
members, as for the advantage of the public generally.
As one means of effecting the desired reform, Doctor
Jeffreys is an advocate for extending the system of self-sup-
porting dispensaries, and his remarks on this point strike us
as being eminently, deserving of attention.
In treating upon the third part in his arrangement,
namely, " the negligent remuneration which medical men
are compelled to submit to," the Doctor makes a statement,
which, for the honour of our town, we are concerned that
there should be a foundation ; nevertheless as seven cases
require a proportionably active remedy, we are far from say-
ing that he has committed an error in speaking out plainly.
On the contrary we rather commend his evident indepen-
dence of spirit. What he says on this head is as follows :

" I now proceed to the third part of my remarks, viz. the
negligent remuneration which medical men are compelled
to submit to ; and upon this point, perhaps, there is no town
in the United Kingdom, certainly none of equal importance,
*here we labour more under this evil, than we do in this
great commercial community. It is true, that of late years
some improvement has been noted, but I very much doubt
whether the profession in general have any idea that the evil
has been carried to the extent we have experienced in our
day ; in proof of which, I may mention the common practice
which has crept in—no doubt from necessity—of employing a
collector, with a per centage allowance, not only to him, but
even to the debtor, for the payment of physicians' and sur-
geons' fees, and which custom- is, and has been long so
common, that the practice of,its being otherwise forms an
exception to the rule.
" We have had instances in this town, of which I have
undoubted proof, though delicacy will not allow me to enter
upon them in detail, of one of the most meritorious surgeons
of his time, and also of a physician, who had served all the
charities with indefatigable zeal during the whole of a prac-
tical life having due to them at the time of their death very
many thousand pounds, the former of whom never would
apply for remuneration for his services during his lifetime,
nor would allow any application to be made by his executors ;
consequently, little or nothing ever was, nor ever will be,
received by any of his family who survive him. The latter
not only died in very straitened circumstances, but was
severely punished by legal treatment for a debt of 20, at the
time that he had many thousands due to him for professional
fees, but which of course were not available to him by the
same means for his pressing wants."
•These statements are of a painful and humiliating charac-
ter ; but surely they do demonstrate that the medical men
stand in need of some better protection than what the law, or
the usage of society in its present state, affords them.

MEETING OF THE PROPRIETORS OF THE
GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY.

The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of the Grand
Junction Railway was held on Friday, at one o'clock, in the
Cotton Sales' Room, John Moss, Esq., chairman of the
company, presided.
Mr. CHORLEY, the secretary, was called upon to read the
reports of the director. The receipts were for the last six
months of 1840 :-from coaching, £188,620 15s. sd. ; goods,
£40,934 2s. Id. ; live stock, £3,008 10s. 11d. ;-total,
£232,563 Bs. sd. For the last six months of 1839 :-coach-
ing, £187,476 Bs. 5d.; goods, £35,220 10s.; live stock,
£3,607 ss. 8d ;-total, £226,304 4s. Id. The expenses for
the six months of 1840, £99,627 is. 7d.; last six months of
1839, £107,880 10s. sd. This saving was accomplished
principally in the important item of locomotive power. The
directors congratulated the proprietors on the exemption of
the Grand Junction Railway from unfortunate casualties, or
accidents affecting life or property, when some untoward oc-
currences on other lines had been made the ground of much
exaggerated anxiety on the subject of railway travelling.
The arrangements completed for the conveyance of merchan-
dise by the opening of the Chester branch, from the first
proximo, might be expected to add materially to the income
of Chester, both from this source and from passengers.
The efficient value of stock, there was reason to believe, was,
at least, as high as upon any former occasion ; the balance
of the whole was £674 ls. 6(I.; to the debit of the half-
year's income. A further reduction in the rates of carriage
for goods had been made since the last meeting. The nett
income, after deducting all expenses, exclusive of the amount
of the unliquidated debt now charged on the new quarter
shares at 5 per cent. on the stock, and equal to 12s. 6d. per
share, was £137,481 Ils. 9d. This would enable the pro-
prietors to declare a dividend at the rate of £6 10s. per
£lOO share, and in proportion on the paid up amount of the
half shares, and on the quarter shares lately created. From
this the balance of stock of 674 Is. sd. having been deducted,
there would remain £689 14s. 4d. to be carried to the cur-
rent half year. And this the direetors accordingly then re-
commended to the meeting. The amount of the nett receipt
from Sunday travelling was equal to 12s. 6d. per £lOO share.
The CHAIRMAN, after expressing his belief that the meet-
ing would feel satisfied with the report just read, said the
public attention had been so much excited on 11,. subject of
railway accidents, that he was gratified in stating, that during
the year 1840, 485,568 persons had been carried along the
line without one loss of life to a.single passenger, conductor,
guard, or firemen. They had also carried 65,289 tons of
goods, and 4741 horses, besides bullion to a very large amount,
and the total sum paid for damage to goods was only £399
Bs. Bd. This was the answer of the Grand Junction directors
to the charges in the public papers, accusing railroad officers
with carelessness and negligence as respects passengers and
property on their respective lines. The chairman proceeded
to say that the directors were always happy to hear sugges-
tions for the prevention of accidents; at the same time, a few
general and simple regulations, if strictly insisted on. could
not fail to be of greater benefit than new experiments. The
rules laid down by the board were read over to the men at
stated intervals, besides being printed and distributed amongst
them, for reference at all times. They had so arranged the
starting of the trains, as to allow an interval of twenty miles
between any two following trains. He next proceeded to say
that the directors had asked the post-office authorities to re-
lax the speed of carrying the mails, which was greater on the
Grand Junction than on any other line, and the object was
to guard against any accidents which the greater speed might
occasion. The reply of the post-office was most flattering to
the directors, and the general management of the company.
The last half years nett income exceeded any former one by
the sum of £lB,OOO, and there would be now paid to the pro-
prietors the sum of £32,845, as follows, in addition to any
former half year :-.£8125 to the Chester and Crewe ; 17,624
on £17,624 new quarter shares, created to liquidate the bond
debts of the company ; £7696, payment on the £lO called up
on the half share during the last half year; total, £32,845.
Considering these new and additional payments, they would
not be surprised at receiving out of the nett revenue of the
last half year a dividend of six and a half per cent. "If any
one," said the chairman, " feels disappointed at this, allow
Me to call his attention to the fact, that, in addition to the
£6 10s., he gets a dividend of £1 on each of his new quarter
shares ;-in other words, he gets upon every share he held
in June last a dividend of £7 10s., if he retains his quarter
share ; and if he has sold it, he has in his pocket its value,
say from £3O to £35, besides £6 10s. on his old share for the
half year." The chairman attributed the falling off in the
gross receipts of the half year to the bad weather, bad times,
and to the prejudice which had been recently created against
railway travelling. But with all these drawbacks, they had
reason to be satisfied with the results of the half year. The
chairman next stated that the Queen Dowager, when she
travelled on the line last summer, had placed £35 at the dis-
posal of the directors, for such charitable purposes as they
deemed proper. A fund had in consequence been establish-
ed; called the " Adelaide Charitable Fund," and to it would
he given any sums which those proprietors who declined to
take money arising from Sunday travelling might place in the
hands of the directors. All fines received OH the road, or
levied on the servants of the company, would go to this fund.
From this source the directors had been enabled to distri-
bute, during the late severe weather, the following donations:
To the Infirmary, £lOO
; District Provident Society, £lOO ;
Strangers Friends Society, £5O ; Dispensaries, £6O ; La-
dies' Orphans School, £50.-Total, £360.
The SECRETARY then read a copy of the correspondence
which passed between the company and the post-office au-
thorities, referred to in the chairman's address, from which
it appeared that Colonel Maberly refused to allow the trains
carrying the mails to travel at a decreased speed of from 30
to 20 miles an hour, as his opinions of the judicious manage-
ment of the company's trains being so high, that he did not
apprehend any danger to life or property.
Mr. LAWRENCE HEYWORTH said the report was highly
satisfactory, and was an additional proof of the care the di-
rectors paid to the interests of the proprietors in their hands,
and, after some further remarks, proposed the adoption of
the report,

Mr: J. E. TAYLOR seconded,the motion, which was unani-
mously carried.

Mr: CoGLAN suggested the propriety of the company hav-
ing their dividends on a particular day, as soon after the com-
mencement of the new year as possible.
The CHAIRMAN showed that it was impossible to carry i
Mr. Coglan's suggestion nto effect, the company being un-
able to get the outstanding bills furnished in sufficient time.
Thanks were then returned to the chairman, and the meet-
ing separated.

SOUND MADE VISIBLE.—A most ingenious and valuable
discovery has just been made by Mr. Southworth, of Cbeet-
ham, Manchester, by means of which an individual, although
unaquainted with the art of writing, is enabled to take down
the speech even of the most rapid speaker, and, what is yet
more surprising, in such a way as to indicate the peculiar em-
phasis with which it may be delivered. As the inventor has
not yet secured a patent right, all that we are at present en-
abled to state is, that it bears some analogy to photogenic
drawing. It is well known in the latter case, that when a
substance properly prepared is presented to objects illuminated
by the rays of the sun, it received a distinct and faithful im-
pression of them, which it afterwards rendered permanent by
suitable chemical agents. So also the present discovery
consists of a piece of mechanism which is as susceptible of the
impression of sounds as the tympanum of the ear, which im-
pression remains permanent, and is as perfectly legible as the
clearest typography.—lnventors Advocate.—[lf Mr. South-
worth accomplishes what is stated for him' the reporters and
short-hand writers may exclaim with the Moor, " Othello's
occupation's gone."]
ANECDOTES OF THE EX-KING OF HOLLAND.
is in the habit of speaking to his subjects with the utmo,
kindness and familiarity. As he was walking in one of th
bye streets of the Hague, on being overtaken by a shower c
rain, he saw some children at play near the door of a poo
dwelling, and asked if he might shelter himself under it. Be,
ing requested by the mother to walk in, he inquired where
her husband was ; when bursting into tears, she said he had
long been buried in the fie}d of Waterloo. The king asked
her name, and on hearing it, said he did not recollect that it
was on the pension list, and expressed his wonder that she
had not presented her petition. She said she had done so
again and again, but that the minister refused to receive it.
The king then took her name and all particulars respecting
her late husband ; saw the minister, and expressed his dis-
he would discard him if he so con-
pleasure, telling him
ducted himself again, and ordered the pension together with
the arrears, to be paid to the poor widow. His majesty once
was passing by when a milk woman fell with her barrow, and
so hurt herself that she could not proceed with it. He not
only helped her up, gave her morethan the worth of what she
had lost, but wheeled the barrow himself to the spot whither
she was going.-IVlrs. Bray's .fountains and Lakes o/
Switzerland.

—The kir

REPRESENTATION OF WALSALL-NOMINATION

OF THE CANDIDATES