The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-17 00:00:00

NORTHERN HOSPITAL.

- TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SIR,—In your publication of Friday a letter appeared from
Mr. Bateson. I am sorry that Mr. B. should have taken
such a step, as it now becomes my painful duty to answer
some portions of the letter, and to lay before the public a
few additional particulars.
Few, I am sure, after perusing Mr. Bateson's account of
his own valuable services in advancing the interests of the
Institution will feel disposed to withhold that meed of praise
which is due to him ; and I am sure that his own reflections
will be no inconsiderable return for his exertions in the cause
of suffering humanity. With respect to the Hospital, al-
though situated most unfavourably for the health of its in-
mates, and although, from the smallness of its wards and
their habitually crowded state, many obstacles are opposed
to the speedy recovery of the patients, there are few institu-
tions more highly favoured than the Northern Hospital, as
regards the surgeons attached to it ;—but, " revenons A nos
moutons."

The Conservative committee of North Toxteth Ward hav-
ing ascertained that a voter who had polled for the conserva-
tive candidate at the previous election, and who was known
to be " a good man and true," was a patient at the Northern
Hospital, deputed a medical man to ascertain whether he
would be able to vote at the then ensuing election. This
gentleman waited upon the house surgeon, who, in answer to
his question, informed him that " it would do the man no
is iury to remove him on the 2nd of November;" and as this
was also the opinion of the medical man himself, he accord-
ingly went to the hospital on the day of the election with a
coach for the man, but as the house surgeon was not in, and
the assistant house surgeon did not like to take upon himself
the responsibility of giving the man permission to absent
himself, the " tory doctor" went away •, but finding, on his
return to the Park, that the race was almost neck and neck,
he went back again to the hospital, and as the house surgeon
had still not returned, the man consented to go and poll on
condition that he was brought back immediately. He went
with, and was accompanied back again by the medical man
before mentioned, and left at the hospital. He polled from
the coach, and was absent less than an hour.

The next day the committee ordered the poor fellow to be
turned out. This was done accordingly, and he, a widower,
with a family of small children, was at a moment's notice
ejected from a CHARITABLE INSTITUTION, to wander about
the streets with a half-cured broken leg swinging between
a pair of crutches ! As soon as the account of this transac-
tion reached the ears of his friends, he was well cared for,
and immediately received intd the Infirmary, where he now
is, and will remain, until he is discharged CURED.
Mr. Bateson says, many or most of the committee were
conservatives ; but I would ask whether the committee had
the matter,set before them in such a light as it now appears,
and should have done then? and I need scarcely remind Mr.
B. that certain influential persons connected with the ma-
nagement of the hospital are " liberals" of the first water.
—ln conclusion, I would beg to say that any subscriptions to
the Liverpool Infirmary will be gratefully received by the
treasurer of that valuable, and (especially in the case before
us) truly charitable and useful institution.—l remain, Sir,
your most obedient servant,
ONE OF THE NORTH TOXTETH WARD
COMM ITTEE.
Toxteth Park, November 16, 1840.

[The writer of the preceding letter is known to us, and we
have felt constrained to give insertion to his reply ; but in
doing so we disclaim all intention of expressing our own
opinion on the merits of the case. We still adhere to the
opinion which we originally gave on the subject—that it
would have been much better for the interests of the charity
to have left the matter alone. Of course, the correspondence
must here close.—E. L. S.]