The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-01-21 00:00:00

EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY,

The annual meeting of the friends and supporters of
this institution was held at the Clarendon-rooms yester-
day. The following gentlemen were present :—The
Mayor; W. Brown, Esq., M.P. ; Rev. Dr. Raffles; Rev.
Dr. Hume; R. V. Yates, Esq.; Alderman Bennett; Coun-
cillors Gardner, Mark Wood, and Neill; Captain Greig ;
Staff-Adjutant Edwards; Isaac Hadwen, C. Wilson, J.
Cropper, W. P. Hutchinson, T. A. Busbby, J. Poole, H.
Banner, Josiah Jones, Adam Hodgson, G. Grant. Chas.
Groves, W. A. Neill, W. Mann, Adam Fairrie, Henry
Crosfield, Esqrs., &c.
G. GRANT, Esq., was solicited to take the chair. He
said he felt very much honoured in being asked to assume
the duties of chairman on the present occasion, though
he wished some other gentleman present had been soli-
cited to undertake the office, as he was sure many present
would have discharged the duties very much better than
he could. While regretting the financial condition of the
charity, he pointed to its noble objects and its great im-
portance as reasons for calling forth a more liberal support
on the part of the public. He dwelt upon the benefits
afforded by the institution in general, on the suffering,
and in particular on the value of the skilful and arduous
services of Mr. Neill, and the attention and pecuniary aid
afforded by the treasurer, Mr. Crosfield. He enter-
tained a sanguine hope that, notwithstanding the not
very favourable state of the funds, the institution would
go on and prosper, and that when they met together an•
other year, they would have the gratification of testifying
to the liberality of the public of Liverpool.
HENRY CROSFIELD, Esq., the treasurer, read a letter
addressed to Mr. Neill, surgeon, connected' with the insti-
tution, by the Rev. W. Richey, a clergyman of Coleraine,
the purport of which was, to return thanks to that gentle.
man for the attention paid to a poor woman named
M'Clean, who resided in Killowen-street, Coleraine, and
whose sight had been restored by that gentleman's skill.
The writer stated, that prior to leaving Ireland for the
institution in Liverpool, the poor woman was utterly
helpless, requiring to he guided about ; on her return,
she was in the full enjoyment of the blessing of sight.
The CHAIRMAN remarked that that was only one of
very many instances of the good which the society had
effected. Such merit as was shown in that letter to
attach to Mr. Neill he thought was deserving of the
warmest expressions of gratitude on the part of those
who had benefited by that skill, which, under Providence,
was capable of effecting the inestimable benefit of resto-
ration of sight.
The TREASURER then read the report.
The treasurer's ordinary account showed that there was
a balance of £230 due to him on the annual expenditure,
and the " new premises" account showed a deficiency of
no less than £1,013.
The report of the committee stated that, during the
last year, no fewer than 4,105 eye cases had been relieved,
and 3,175 ear cases, showing a considerable increase upon
the returns of last year, and this number would have been
considerably augmented but from the impoverished funds.
Upwards of 100 cases of cataract and artificial pupil have
been treated, and during the period most of the patients
were boarded and lodged in the house. The committee
passed a warm eulogium on the skill and attention of the
officers of the institution. The debt on the institution
still exceeds £l,OOO, and the committee are much crippled
in their means of usefulness by this grievous incubus.
They are also very desirous of reducing the amount owing
to the treasurer, to whom the charity has been very largely
indebted for many years. The institution has never par-
ticipated in any public fund raised for charitable purposes,
nor have its claims been advocated from a single pulpit,
and it has, therefore, a strong claim on the benevolence
of the public. So great has been the increase in the num-
ber of applicants for relief, that the committee have deemed
it their duty to appoint Mr. John Poole, an honorary
assistant-surgeon. The report contains the following
gratifying cure, performed by the talented medical officers
of the Institution :
" Among numerous interesting cases, your Committee would
particularly allude to that of William Dimsdale, a child about
10 months old, who, with his mother, a simple countrywoman
from the neighbourhood of Appleby, was several weeks an in-
mate of your hospital. The child was born blind, and would in
all probability, had it not been for the existence of your insti-
tution, have never seen the light of day. A benevolent gentle-
man in their neighbourhood furnished the mother with the
means of reaching your infirmary; the skilful treatment of
your surgeon has, under the Divine blessing, conferred upon
the infant the use of both its eyes; and the mother has now re-
turned to her native village, her heart gladdened by the sight of
her little one in possession of this most inestimable blessing,
and now capable of returning her smile for smile."
.

H. NEILL, Esq., the operating surgeon of the hospital,
proceeded to address the meeting as follows—Mr. Chair-
man,—As I am anxious to save the valuable time of this
meeting, I will confine myself to a simple statement of
the amount of benefit conferred upon the poor during the
past year. The report of the committee has told you that
of eye and ear cases the number has been 7,280, which
compared with the number 6,745 in 1849, gives an increase
of 535 in the past year. You will remark that• the number
of incomers was less in the year 1850 than in 1849—the
reply is that the state of our funds prevented the free and
numerous admission of in-patients which we have hitherto
given : at the same time a greater number of operations
have been performed in the hospital. I find that in the
last seven months of the year just gone, about
one hundred operations for the restoration of sight
have been performed. It will be interesting to you
to know the localities from which our in-patients
have been received, and it will be also gratifying
to you to be made acquainted with the high esti-
mation in which your charity is held in remote places.
Inpatients have been received during 1850 from America,
Bangor, Bidstone, Bootle, Broughton, Chester, (2,)
Cumberland, (3,) Coleraine, (ireland,) Glasgow, Isle of
Man, Lancaster, Manchester, Malpas, Nantwich, North-
wich, North of Scotland, Overton, Pontefrac', St. He-
len's, Stafford. Stone, Sutton, Westmoreland, (2,) White-
haven, (2,) Wigan, Woolton, and Wigton,—and most
of these have either paid the whole or a portion of their
board. I would observe here, that nearly four hundred
mechanics of this town have been treated for burns,
scalds, and other wounds of the eye, and in aimost every
case they were sent home cured, the sight being suffi-
ciently restored for the general purposes of their respec-
tive daily pursuits. During the past year there have been
several cases of congenital cataract operated on with perfect
success. One was from Barbadoes, one from St. Helens,
one from Bidstone; one from Liscard, one from Birken-
head, and one from Kensington, Liverpool. All these
children had useful vision given to them although born
blind. There have also been many most interesting cases
of sight restored by the operation for the formation of an
artificial opening to admit of the light entering the eye
and reaching the nerve. This class of operations is won-
drously beautiful, and such delicate instruments are now
formed to manipulate with the delicate structures impli-
cated, that the slashing surgeon who lops arms and legs off
timing his operation by the second of time, and using his
intellect and his muscle to accomplish his object at the
instant, not unfrequently turns up his nose at the apparent
insignificance of the eye operator and his tools. Yet
sight or blindness frequently are at the risk of the
delicate niceties of the operator, and of the little weapon
which he handles. These remarks are truly applicable to
this operation, and an amount of success has resulted in
our hospital from the operation for the production of a
false or artificial pupil, which induces me now to hold out
hope in numbers of cases hitherto considered hopeless. We
have had two cases, one from. Wigton, and one from Cum-
berland, of an uncommonly bad kind, and yet both these
men came to us blind from the result of explosions, and
left the hospital with a vision quite ample for a labourer's
purpose. But I will not further detain you with surgical
details. Some effort must be made directly to the pockets
of the public. Mere appeals will not suffice. Interesting
histories of wonderful cases will not avail ; these means
will not extract the pounds, shillings, and pence. A sup-
port must be obtained, which this and every other similar
institution must have, or else be inefficient. Suggestions
I hope will to-day be made, which will have the desired
effect. I have to announce to the treasurer the receipt of
two donations, £2O given by Mr. Rigg, of Newton Heath,
II Manchester, and £lO, the gift of Mr. J. Drinkwater ; both
sums accompanied with expressions of regret that it was
necessary for neighbburly assistance ; but both gentlemen

~ . , ...
expressing their appreciation of the usefulness, and their
best wishes for the fullest success, of the Liverpool Eye
and Ear Infirmary. And just as I was setting out to
attend this meeting, the very liberal subscription of five
pounds a year has been sent to me from the Hon. Colonel

Wilbral.ain, accompanied by his thanks for the benefits
conferred upon the poor in the neighbourhood of Orms-
kirk. In the course of his address, Mr. Neill stated that
the cost in cases where patients were boarded in the

Infirmary, had not exceeded during the year Li for each
patient.

The following is the monthly return of cases for the
year 1850 :—January, 219 ; February, 291; March, 367 ;
April, 366; May, 376 ; June, 393 ; July, 371 ; August,
353 ; September, 398 ; October, 344 ; November, 314,
December, 288 ; total, 4,020. The following are a few of
the diseases treated, with the number of patients in each
class :—Cataract, 116 ; catarrah opthalmia, 862 ; tarsal
opthalmia, 608 ; strumous opth

ltusions,
of ditto,

WM.BROWN, Esq., M.P., in moving the first resolution,
[the resolution will be found, in extenso, in another
column]—said he felt a very deep interest in the occasion
which had called them together. He congratulated the
Committee on the circumstance of the fame of the Eye
and Ear Hospital spreading far and wide; but whilst this
was the case it had not been appreciated in this town as it
ought to have been ; he could not help thinking that this
was owing to the quiet and unattractive manner in which
its affairs had been managed, he therefore hoped that the
committee would seize every opportunity, in their private
circles, of bringing the society and its objects prominently
forward. He considered they were greatly indebted to
Dr. Neill for his voluntary services. He described the
objects of the institution as being amongst the most laud-
able it is possible to conceive, and while it afforded a
remedy for the worst description of physical affliction, it was
not like many charities open to abuse, as no man could be
supposed capable of the folly of injuring himself wilfully
in order to participate in the benefits it afforded.
J. CROPPER, Esq., seconded the resolution. He hoped
with the treasurer as times were mending, the committee
would not have long to complain of any deficiency in the
finances; but he would recommend them to ask for do-
nations, because he was quite sure that unless they asked
they would never receive, and he would be glad if, among
others, they would ask him by and by. (Hear, hear.)
ADAM HODGSON, Esq., moved the next resolution.
He quite concurred with Mr. Brown in his observations
on the importance of such an institution as that; and he
thought the committee should take means to bring it
more directly under the notice of the public. As an illus-
tration of the necessity of early application for advice in
cases of injury or disease, he instanced that of mental
derangement, for which the county had provided very
largely on a recent occasion ; by. the early treatment of
such complaints, it had been found that much pauper
lunacy had been prevented, incipient disease had been
arrested before it became chronic ; and he presumed, the
same rule applied to physical disorders} so that on the

•
ground of economy, he .urged them to support the Eye
and Ear Institution. He had no doubt that, had not
those cases which had been referred to in the report, been
promptly treated, they would have become incurable. In
alluding to the advantages the institution possessed in
having the very eminent skill at command it was known
to have, he trusted Mr. Neill would excuse him of any-
thing but the intention to speak his candid sentiments,
for every one knew what were Mr. Neill's skill and talent.
It was to be regretted then, that while they had the com-
mand of such great abilities, they should be crippled in
their finances. He hoped this complaint would cease,
and that the committee would in future be unshackled in
their philanthropic exertions ; he advised them to " ask,"
and, as Mr. Cropper had told them, to begin with himself,
so he (Mr. Hodgson) had no objection to them applying
to him, but should be happy to respond in his humble
way. (Hear, hear.) _ .

Mr. GROVES seconded the resolution.
THEODORE RATHBONE, Esq. moved the third resolu-
tion, which was seconded by THOS. Harz, Esq.
His Worship the MAYOR, who entered the room shortly
before, proposed the next resolution. He begged to
assure them that it was with very great pleasure he at-
tended the annual meeting of that society, for no one
could more highly appreciate the importance of such an
institution. When they took into consideration the im-
portance of sight and hearing, they could not help wishing
for the success of the institution. Regarding the institu-
tion with these feelings, he (the Mayor) was glad to ob-
serve in the council chamber, on a recent occasion, that
it was proposed to increase, out of the surplus fun( appro-
priated to such purposes, the allowance to this charity
from £3O to £lOO. He only hoped this would be a sti-
mulus to individual liberality—( Hear, hear)—which he
thought would easily be ensured were the institution more
known. His Worship continued to urge the importance
of the institution, and congratulated the committee on
possessing the talented services of Mr. Neill, whom, he
was sorry to say, he feared soon to have to call to his aid
as an oculist.

Mr. IlAnwErf seconded the resolution in a short eulo-
gistic address, directed towards Mr. Neill and his profes-
sional coadjutors.
Mr. W. Baow-N, M.P., moved and Dr. HUME seconded
a vote of thanks to the chairman.

G. GRANT, Esq. responded briefly. He would observe
that he had long been a small contributor to the institu-
tion, he intended in future to he a larger. (Hear, hear.)
He had had the pleasure of Mr. Neili's acquaintance for
some time, both as an occasional visitor to the institution
and as a patient, and he heartily concurred in all that had
been said relative to his skill and indefatigability.
In reply to a question, by the treasurer, Mr. CROPPER
said his name might be put down for £25. (Applause.)

DEFALCATION OF A TAX COLLECTOR FOR

KIRKDALE

A meeting of the rate-payers of Kirkdale was held last
evening, at the Lion Inn, Kirkdale, to take into con-
sideration the re-assessment consequent upon the defal-
cation• of the late collector of government taxes for the
township. It appears that the rate-payers were called
upon to pay a rate of one shilling and sixpence on the
Property Tax, and one shilling and two pence on the
Assessed Taxes, in consequence of the defalcation referred
to. The weather was extremely unpropitious, and, at
eight o'clock, the hour appointed for the commencement
of proceedings, about half-a-dozen rate-payers made their
appearance in the large room at Haydock's Hotel. These
parties seemed to be rather surprised at the smallness of
the gathering, and were also ignorant of the machinery
which had been put into operation to convene the meet-
ing. A few of the number, deeming it doubtful whether
any business would be done, left the room. Shortly after-
wards an accession was made to the remnant, and, in
about half-an-hour more, a very respectable muster was
made.
Mr. ItosKELL was calfed to the chair. He commenced
by reading the placard calling the meeting. He was
extremely sorry circumstances should have called them
together on such an occasion, for at the present crisis he
thought they all had enough to do to pay their taxes
once, without being called upon for them again. He had
been called upon to make up a deficiency in the accounts
of the late Mr. Powell, exceeding £lOO. Now, he had
been informed that Mt. Powell had left property exceed-
ing the amount of £lOOO ; but the government, it ap-
peored, had not thought proper to-take any notice of this,
but had proceeded at once to reassess the township. He
would be the last man to act in a manner to distress a
widow and children ; but lie thought they bad a duty to
perform—a duty to themselves.. The tenant of the pro-
perty referred to had intimated his willingness to give
£l4OO for it. In conclusion, the chairman made some
reference to the overseers, upon which
Mr. PURNELL, one of the overseers, said that they had
had nothing whatever to do with the reassessment.
Mr. GANDY characterised the whole affair as scandalous,
he wanted to know why the late collector had not fur-
nished bondsmen, and contended that the assessors (one
of whom was the chairman) were the parties really liable
under the circumstances for the deficiency.

Mr. PARKER considered it a grave enormity that the
rate-payers should be called upon to pay their taxes twice.
If they submitted to this they might be called upon to
make up £2OOO instead of £lOO. In conclusion, he
moved a resolution to the effect that the assessment was
unfair, and that it was believed that Mr. Powell had left
property more than sufficient to make up the deficiency.
Mr. GANDY seconded the resolution. It appeared that
a mortgage had been effected on the property by the
deceased, amounting to upwards of £lOOO, but the value
being upwards of £l4OO, the deficiency would be more
than covered by the surplus. Other resolutions succeeded.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

LONDON, MONDAY NIGHT.

A cabinet council was held this afternoon at Lansdowne
House, owing to the state of ill-health of the President of
the Council.

SOUTHAMPTON, Monday, 4 p.m.—Arrived, Ripon
steamer, Capt. R. Moresby, with the heavy portion of the
India and China mails, which will be despatched to Lon-
don by the night mail.
HAMBRO' lith.—Exchange on London has been quoted
as low as 13 1, but was much better subsequently. Coffee
cheaper.

MADRID, 13th,—It is not believed that the formation
of a new Cabinet will be of any benefit to the foreign
bondholders.

RESIGNATION OF THE FRENCH MINISTRY.
PARIS, SUNDAY.—The corrected official division list of
Saturday, gives 415 votes for the Opposition, and 286 for
the Government—majority against the latter, 129. The
majority was composed as follows :—Republicans, Parlia-
mentarians, Mountain, and Thaborists, 215 ; Legitimists,
160 ; dissentient parliamentary chiefs, with their followers,
40: total, 415. 13 Generals, including Changarnier,
voted against Ministers ; and l 9 in favour. There are a
great number of very influential names among the ma-
jority. The public are astonished at the extraordinary
coalition, and the effect of Thiers, and the members of
the majority, joining the Mountain party is likely to be
injurious to the former. The Prefect of Police encourages
the Ministers to remain in office, stating that public
opinion is in their favour, and against the Assembly. The
chiefs of the minority also instruct them not to give way.
Nothing whatever is known as to the President's inten-
tions, but it is stated by the Times correspondent that,
on good authority, he wishes to retain his present advisers.
and declaring to them if they stopped with him he will
stand by them. The difficulties of forming a new Cabinet
are very great. The Bourse perfectly tranquil, and the
Funds are a little better, having been done at 94 35.