Remarks on the report of Her Majesty's Commissioners on the Poor-Laws of Scotland, presented to Parliament in 1844, and on the dissent of Mr. Twisleton from that report / by William Pulteney Alison.

  • Alison, William Pulteney, 1790-1859.
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks on the report of Her Majesty's Commissioners on the Poor-Laws of Scotland, presented to Parliament in 1844, and on the dissent of Mr. Twisleton from that report / by William Pulteney Alison. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    « for supplying medicines, either from a dispensary or otherwise. ' I just -pay for the medicines myself.'—Vol, iii., p. 509. Thomas M'Millan, Esq., Surgeon in Wigtown. He has attended the poor in seven parishes, and never got a ' fartliins: from the kirk-sessions of any of them. He never got any ' thing for medicines in any of the parishes, except one year in ' Wigtoiun. They had a dispensary, for which he furnished the ' medicines; and he was paid the first year by subscription. The ' second year he furnished medicines ; but the subscriptions fell of, ' and he received no payment. He has no means of getting pro- ' per food for pauper patients ; he has often supplied them with ' wine and food liimself. He prefers doing that, to asking it from ' the parishes. He would only get referred from one to another ; ' and his time does not admit of that.—Vol. iii'., p. 536. John Gibson, Esq., Provost of Lanark. Witness attended almost all the poor twenty years, and never ' received any recompense. It is only in extreme cases now, if at ' all, that any tiling is paid for medical advice. Witness, some • years ago, attended a blind woman, a sti'anger in this parish, ' who fell and broke her arm, and paid for her lodging and ali- ' ment during her confinement; and being refused any recom- ' pense, brought an action before the Sheriff for a guinea and a ' half as his fees, who decided in his favour ; but the hei'itors ' having suspended the decreet, witness declined to proceed with ' the case in the Court of Session, and was obliged to pay L.5for ' a portion of the expenses.'^—Vol. iii., p. 403. Dr Joseph Bell, Surgeon at Barrhead, in Neilston. I am in the habit of visiting the poor when sick. There is ' no medical attendant appointed by the parish. I do not receive ' any remuneration, either for my attendance or the medicines I < furnish; and the other medical gentlemen in the place are pre- cisely in the same circumstances. I consider that the poor suf- fer a great deal from the want of regular medical attendance. Deaths frequently occur, without any medical man having seen the person. I am seldom called to see a poor patient, until