Report : 1907 / Middlesex Hospital.

Middlesex Hospital.

Date:: 1907

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report : 1907 / Middlesex Hospital. Source: Wellcome Collection.

333/360 (page 163)

Car at or of the Museum. It must not be omitted to mention that from 1867 to the present time one part of the duty of the Registrars has been to publish annual reports. With the commencement (in 1903) of the publication of the “ Archives of the Middlesex Hospital ” these reports are now embodied in that production, of which some four volumes are issued yearly, including the Reports of the Cancer Research Department, and contributions on clinical and pathological subjects by members of the Staff. Lastly, reference may be made to the Resident Officers. From the beginning there has been a Resident Medical Officer, until 1886 styled “apothecary.’3 In 1890 the offices of Casualty Medical and Surgical Officers were created, owing to the great increase of the numbers attending these departments. Of the Junior Resident Appointments that of House Sttrgeon dates back the farthest, for in 1757, when the Hospital acquired its building, the post was created under the title of “ House Pupil.” Its tenure was for about a year, the appointment being made to each Surgeon in turn. From the year 1823 two House Surgeons were appointed annually, at an interval between each of six months, and this arrangement of Senior and Junior Ho use Surgeon lasted for more than fifty years, when the change was made to the present plan of a House Surgeon to each of the Surgeons, and holding- office for six months. It was not until 1859 that the office of House Physician (then termed “ Resident Medical Assistant ”) was created, the duties now discharged by the holders having been performed by the Resident Apothe¬ cary. There are three such officers, one to each Physician, and also an Obstetric House Physician. The recent creation of the office of House Surgeon and Registrar to the Cancer Wing completes the tale of such Appointments. XIII. The question of the Nursing Department came under consideration during the first year of the late Major Ross’s long tenure of office as Chair¬ man of the Weekly Board, with the result that it was reorganized and placed on a better basis under the control of a Lady Superintendent, an office to which the first appointment was made in May, 1867. As already mentioned, the Nurses’ Home was opened in 1869 by H.R.H. the Princess Mary oe Cambridge. In 1870 there was instituted the system of addition to the Regular Nursing- Staff of a certain number of Lady Probationers, who on payment of a fee, were employed in the service of the Hospital for a definite period, and were thus enabled to gain experience in sick-nursing as well as to afford material assistance in the work of the Wards. About the year 1872 considerable difficulty was experienced in procuring Nerses, and in retaining their services when trained. The general Public were awaking to the immense importance of skilful nursing, as well as of medical treatment; and consequently there was much inducement for those who had passed a few years at a Hospital to leave it, and join some association for providing private persons with Nurses, and thereby emancipate Resident Medical Officer. Casualty Officers. House Surgeon. House Physician. N ursing Depart¬ ment. Nurses’ Home.