Laws, list of officers for the year 1870-71, and of the honorary members and members : to which is added a report of the annual meeting ... July 13th, 1870 / Poor-Law Medical Officers' Association.
- Date:
- [1870]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Laws, list of officers for the year 1870-71, and of the honorary members and members : to which is added a report of the annual meeting ... July 13th, 1870 / Poor-Law Medical Officers' Association. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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![I also pointed out that whilst the estimated population in IbbO was 21,649,377 in England, ^272,000 only was expended ou medical relief, gross relief for the same year costing i;7,^<J»,^o^- Population. Medical Relief. ^]'°f,fM!f' Scotland, 3,188,13.3 32,858 ... ^J^^'j^Jf- Ireland, 5,543,285 ... 131,000 ... 829,521. And I observed that it was thus shown that ^vhilst Ireland spent most on Medical relief, she was rewarded by having tlio smallest death rate, and what, would be more interesting, to some, by having infinitely the less poor rate expenditure. These statistics were at the time extensively reported and commented on, in the general and medical press, and, since then, I learn, that Dr. Burke, of the Registrar-General's department, Dublin, and Mr. Power, the Chief Commissioner of the 1 oor have been examined before the Royal Sanitary Conimission. I have not succeeded, in getting the evidence, of this latter gentleman, but through the courtesy, of a friend, I have obtained extracts of Dr. Burke's ; he said, in answer to a question, i think Registration in Ireland, is yet very imperfect,—again he said, in wild districts it is very hard to get information, _ the people are loth to travel some eight to nine miles to register a birth or death. Dr. Farr, also stated that the whole ot the deaths are not at present registered. Now, with all due defer- ence to these two authorities, I believe that they have over estimated, the defects in registration. I would remind you, that Registration in Ireland, is almost exclusively m the hands of the Dispensary Doctors, and they would naturally hear of the deaths of the people they officially attend. Learning what these two gentlemen had asserted, I applied to a very liigh authority in Ireland (whose name I do not feel at liberty to^reveal, although it would strengthen my case considerably to do so) for information on this subject. In his reply, he stated, Registration here is less perfect, than in England and Wales or Scotland, but not to so great an extent, as the Registration Office people (referring to Dr. Burke's evidence which he had seen) make out; and, as a whole, the imperfections arc not such as seriously to affect your comparison, the diffi?rencc in the number of deaths, and the amount of disease, being mainly due to the causes to which you ascril)e them,—that cause, being as you arc aware, the efficiency of Irish Dispensary 'Medical Relief. . Dr. Rumsey, a very great authority on sanitary subjects, in a letter I recently received, stated, that the rate of mortality (whatever that may have to do with public health) is lower in Ireland, than hero, and so far, one basis of your argument is good ; and again, the financial figures, are to iny mind, more conclusive, and seem to prove, what I have always](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21920606_0025.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
