In the 19th century it was not unusual in the United Kingdom to combine the subscription (provident) arrangement with charitable provision  .
There are competing claims to where the first dispensary was founded but it is clear that dispensaries began being established in numbers from 1770 onwards. Dispensaries were funded by voluntary subscriptions. Subscribers would "recommend" local people to be treated by the dispensary .
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In the 19th century it was not unusual in the United Kingdom to combine the subscription (provident) arrangement with charitable provision
There are competing claims to where the first dispensary was founded but it is clear that dispensaries began being established in numbers from 1770 onwards.
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Dispensaries were funded by voluntary subscriptions. Subscribers would "recommend" local people to be treated by the dispensary