An account of the Foundling Hospital in London, for the maintenance and education of exposed and deserted young children.

Date:
MDCCXCIX [1799]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of the Foundling Hospital in London, for the maintenance and education of exposed and deserted young children. 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 fome inftances, in which the exiftence of the child, and the future welfare and good conduct of the mother, can only be fecured by fuch an eftablifhment, as that of the Foundling Hofpital: and it may be queftioned, in many inftances, whether even the prefervation of the helplefs and unoffending infant is fo me- ritorious and beneficial an a£t of charity, as the refcuing the wretched mother from a courfe of infamy and proftitution, and reftoring her to character and the means of honed induftry. The feledtion of thefe cafes, wfith a compe- tent attention to circumftances, is one of the moft important duties of the afiting guardians of the charity. In this refpedt tiffs hofpital differs from thofe in other countries, where the ]aw has not appointed any peculiar provifion for the poor. Theirs are neceffarily open and •univerfal: ours, except during a fhort period, when the fyftem was totally and very impro- perly changed, extended only to thofe cafes, where the poor laws do not afford competent relief. The inconvenience to be ap- confide^1011 prehended from fuch an afylum, is the encouragement that may be given