The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-18 00:00:00

obliged to ci

upon many whom-the

tented state of dep.

prevailed in the commercial circles. of the town, renderec
the position of those entrusted with the management o
charitable institutions one of peculiar perplexity ; am
your committee have felt the difficulty of appealing fo:
assistance to their fellow-townsmen at such a period
Now, however, when the general aspect of affairs ha

assumed a brighter appearance, they would earnestly call
the attention of the many affluent members of this lam
community to the peculiar claims this charity has upon
their consideration. It is one of the few charities in the
town to which no written recommendation is required ;
the suffering poor are at once admitted, and in most cases

teal the extent of its operations from the knowledge of
the charitable, and consequently to lessen the amount of

committee would particularly allude to the class

various defects of hearing, which would, if not attended
to in an early stage of the disorder, totally disqualify from
fulfilling the humble, though necessary duties of their
station, and whose means would not permit them to pro-
cure in any other way the benefit of medical assistance,

;he past year, re

in your infirm-

ary ; and, in conelusion, the committee would again re-
mind their fellow-townsmen, how very important it is to
the labouring man, who. with the loss of eyesight, would
lose all power of supporting his family, and especially to
the artisan and mechanic, whose daily avocations expose
him to the frequent accidents of his eye, that an institu-
tion which is daily conferring such eminent benefits upon
the lower orders, and which is capable of being rendered
still more extensively useful by a moderate addition to its

annual income, snow, _-
but should obtain from the public a larger share of that
support which has so long and liberally been extended to
the many more expensive, though certainly not more us-
ful, charities with which this large town abounds.
" Signed on behalf of the committee,
" HENRY CROSSFIELD,
" Liverpool, 12th January, 1848."
The following is an abstract of the accounts then sub-
mitted :

be allowec

;o remain

'reasurer

THE EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY IN Accou
HENRY CROSSFIELD, TREASUREE

DR
1847,
Jan. 1. To amount due Treasurer, as per last R(
port
Dec. 31. To Board of Patients, Servants Wages, Ss
lary of Matron, and other expenses

e s. d

1847,
Dec. 31. By Subscriptions, as per List
„ Ditto from the Corporation
„ Amount from Charity Box at
House
' , Rent of Stable, &c.
Balance due Treasurer

s. d.
V 4 5 6
30 0 0

3 3 0
25 0 0
117 9 3

.CCOIJNT

1. To balance due Treasurer, per last Report 12'
„ Sundry Tradesmen's Accounts
„ Interest on Debt

Dec. 31. By sundry Donatio'

12th .Tanuary, 1848

£ s. d.
146 6 0
1269 17 6

HENRY CRC

3 13 2

The TREASURER then remarked that the report and the
accounts so fully set forth the present condition of the
institution that it was unnecessary for him to make any
remarks on that point. He should have been glad to see
the accounts more favourable, yet, such was the efficiency
of the institution, that he saw no ground for discourage-
g ment, and trusty with - endment of the times it

.. all am,
would yet be adequately supported.
Mr. NEILL, the principal medical officer of the institu-
tion, and a gentleman of much skill in the diseases
treated of and who has devoted his untiring exertions to
the interests of the establishment for some years, produced
a tabular statement of the numerous cases treated during
the year -

, car, arranged in columns, showing the nature of the.
ailments (of the eyes or ears) of the patients, and the re-
sults. This exhibited a great increase of general cases
over those of former years—and especially in cataract s•
of which there had been no fewer than eighty-one cr
in al' -r ' "

of which operations had been perfornied, and but
one case had been unsuccessful. There had been twenty-
five cases of contraction of the pupil of the eye, excluding
the light, and in which artificial pupils were successfully
introduced. Amongst the cases were those of some chil-
dren born blind who had obtained the power of sight.
There was a case of a boy who had laboured under oblite-
ration of the pupil of one of his eyes, and the other was
strongly affected from sympathy. He now saw dis-
tinctly with the eye that had an artificial pupil intro-
duced, and could likewise distinguish objects with the
other, which was progressively improving. Operations
had also been successfully performed for squint, and
by the use of sulphuric ether, and in other

later cases
pain,

of chloroform, the operation, hitherto one of g 4;

if at all felt

The new

some of these cases, and this had noodoubt the effect of
sending more persons to the institution. He next touched
upon the prevention of blindness amongst workmen in
foundries and other large works, who received injuries of
the eye, by bruises or wounds from sparks, particles of
steel, and other substances. This year they have had no
fewer than 362 cases of mechanics, many of them from

places at a distance. He read a list of cases from many
towns in England, Wales, and even Scotland, that had
been relieved. The new cases in both departments were
no fewer than 6569; and the total number of times on which
patients had been attended to, that is, seen, prescribed for,
or otherwise attended to, was 17,656 during the past
year, by himself and his assistant. Mr. Neill introduced
to the meeting a number of persons who had derived the
greatest benefit from the institution, in their restoration
to sight and hearing—the boy above alluded to ; a re-
spectably-dressed female, and several others from Man-
chester; a man who had been blind for three years • two
children who had been born blind, and several others.
He said he could have brought many more, but was un-
willing to detain the meeting. He explained the oper-
ations in each case, but as the whole will appear in an
appendix to the report to be published for the subscribers,
we need but add that this portion of the proceedings was
extremely interesting ; that the parties replied intelligently
to all questions put to them, and voluntarily expressed
in affecting terms their deep gratitude for the kindness,
skill, and attention bestowed upon them, and through
which they had been redeemed to their several avocations
in society. On some of them double operations had to
be performed. Mr. Neill's explanations were listened to
with marked attention. lie lamented that several towns
whence patients were sent did not subscribe at all to the

instituiiOn.
Mr. RATTIBONE spoke in warm commendation of the
treatment of the patients. To witness what they had
seen and heard was as striking as it was delightful. He
moved that the report, &c. be received, printed, and
distributed to the subscribers.—(See Adv.)

. .
Mr. DAVID DOCKRAY, in seconding the resolution,
stated that his attention had been drawn to the resolution
in a remarkable way. He was recently travelling by rail,
when in the same carriage he observed a boy about ten
years of age, with his parents—a lady and
and the former appeared greatly interested
the several objects as they passed along.
seemed delighted with his animation, and In
that the boy had been restored to si
stitution --

He (the speaker) afterwards m(
circumstance to his friend Mr. Crosfield, an,
he was the treasurer. He could not help t

such cases as those brought before
themselves upon the consideration of

The parents

and that thC institution, though n
through their liberality, be enabled t
of its usefulness. (Hear.)

,
A cordial vote of thanl

lon learned
its very in-
tioned the

force