Infirmaries, hospitals for invalids, field lazarettos.

Johann Beckmann

Date:: [1846]

Credit: Infirmaries, hospitals for invalids, field lazarettos. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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ORPHAN HOUSES. 453 the interest of 72,000 sesterces, or 3750 dollars, were to be employed in maintaining eighteen legitimate male children, and one legitimate female child, at the rate before mentioned. Pliny even, the panegyrist of Trajan, founded from his own property pensions for the free-born children of poor parents; a circumstance which he does not forget to mention in his letters, and the same thing is confirmed by an inscription still extant1. Antoninus JPius made a similar establishment for poor girls, which after his consort were called puellce Fansti- niance2. The emperor Antoninus Pliilosophus did the same thing ; and from the name of the empress the girls were called Fciustiniance, but by way of distinction novce puellce Fausti- niance3. Alexander Severus formed an institution for the education of boys and girls, whom he caused to be named from his mother mammceani and mammceance4. In regard to the manner in which these establishments were managed we are entirely ignorant. It is known only, that in each of the provinces into which Italy was divided, there was a public functionary of some rank, with the title procurator ad alimenta, to whom, in all probability, the in- spection of them was entrusted. This is known to have been an honourable office. It was held by the emperor Pertinax when a young man, in the towns and villages on the Via Ancilia, and in his old age at Rome itself5. It was held also by Didius Julianus before he became emperor, after he had been praetor and consul, that is, enjoyed the highest offices next to the imperial dignity, and after he had been governor of Germany6. On ancient monuments erected to the memory of persons of distinction, by their children, relations or friends, it is mentioned, that, besides filling other places of honour, they had been procurators ad alimenta in certain districts there named. These are the oldest instances, with which I am at present acquainted, of institutions for the benefit of poor children and orphans. Orphan-houses, properly so called, in which the children were educated together, I find mentioned for the first time, under the name of orphanotrophium, in the laws of 1 Plin. Epist. i. 8,10, and vii. 18. Gruteri Inscript, p. mxxviii. n. 5* 3 Capitolin. cap. 8. 3 lb. cap. 26. 1 Lamprid. cap. 57. 6 /Elian. Spartian. cap. 1. p. 574.

Infirmaries, hospitals for invalids, field lazarettos.

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