Thomas Thalric Harman

“ Jaffray, we "have great faith in the liberality of the public towards an institution—the oldest and noblest and ablest of our medical charities—which for more than a century has done so much for the relief of human suffering: and cannot help believing that there are in Birmingham many persons who, having benefited by the prosperity of the town, feel that they owe a duty to the community, and will gladly embrace this opportunity of discharging at least some part of their obligation." Patients are said to be admitted to the General Hospital by tickets from subscribers ”

“ For some years past fever patients requiring isolation have been treated in the Borough Hospital, but the Health Committee have lately purchased a plot of land in Lodge Road of about 41⁄2 acres, at a cost of £4,500, and have recently thereon a wooden pavilion divided into male and female wards, with ail necessary bath rooms, nurses' rooms, &c., everything being done which can contribute to the comfort and care of the inmates, while the greatest attention has been paid to the ventilation and other necessary items tending to their recovery. ”

“ The medical board have the power to grant to any woman who passes the examination, the subjects of which are defined, a certificate as a skilled midwife, competent to attend natural labours. One midwife and four monthly nurses have already received certificates, and it is hoped that many more candidates will avail themselves of the opportunity thus readily afforded to them, and supply a want very generally felt among the poor of the town. Subscribers have the privilege of bestowing the tickets, and the offices are at 71, Newhall Street. ”

“ The removal of the County Court to Corporation Street, and the possible future erection of Assize Courts near at hand, have induced some speculators to embark in the erection of yet another extensive establishment, to be called the "Inns of Court Hotel," and in time course of time we shall doubtless have others of a similar character. At any of the above, a visitor to the town (with money in his purse) can find first class accommodation, and (in comparison with the London hotels of a like kind) at reasonably fair rates. ”

“ It is intended that the hospital should be a model to the whole kingdom of what such an institution ought to be; the latest and best of modern appliances, both sanitary and surgical, will be introduced. There will be in and out departments, completely isolated one from the other, though with a door of communication. From sixty to seventy beds will be provided, special wards for a certain class of cases, adequate waiting-rooms for out-patients, and the necessary rooms for the officers and medical attendants, all being on an ample scale. ”

“ Nobility, and celebrated characters of all kinds, who have put up at this hotel, would fill pages, and those anxious for such old-time gossip, must refer to S. D. R.'s book, as before-mentioned. At the close of 1878, the premises were acquired by the "Birmingham Aquarium Co.. Limited," who proposed to erect a handsome concert-room, aquarium, restaurant, &c. The old building has been considerably altered, and somewhat improved in appearance, but the aquarium and concert-room are, as yet, non est, an Arcade being built instead. ”

“ The buildings in Weston Road, Winson Green, and now known as the Borough Hospital, have no connection whatever with the Workhouse, and were opened for the reception of persons suffering from smallpox and scarlet fever in Nov. 1874. The latter cases are now taken to the Hospital in Lodge Road, so that present accommodation can be found in the Borough Hospital for nearly 250 patients at a time should it ever be necessary to do so. Persons knowing of any case of smallpox should at once give notice to the officers of health at Council House. ”

“ Dee's Royal Hotel being taken and remoddled for the purpose at a cost of about £8,300. In 1881 the number of patients treated was 12,523; in 1882, 13,448 of whom 768 were in-patients, making a total of over a quarter of a million since the commencement of the charity. Admission by subscriber's ticket. Originally an hotel, the building is dilapidated and very unsuitable to the requirements of the hospital, the space for attendants and patients being most inadequate. This has been more and more evident for years past, and the erection of a new building became an absolute necessity. ”

“ Such a work could be carried on by a District Nursing Society if there were funds to defray the extra expense, and at their last annual meeting the Managing Committee decided to appeal to their friends for assistance towards forming an endowment fund for the treatment of patients at home during their convalescence, and also for aiding nurses during times of sickness. An anonymous donation of £1,000 has been sent in, and two other donors have given £500 each, but the treasurer will be glad to receive additions thereto, and as early as possible, for sick women nor sick men can wait long. ”

“ This pavilion is only a portion of the scheme which the committee propose to carry out, it being intended to build four, if not five, other wards of brick. A temporary block of administrative buildings has been erected at some distance from the pavilion. There accommodation is provided for the matron, the resident medical superintendent, the nurses when off duty, and the ordinary kitchen, scullery, and other offices are attached. When the permanent offices have been erected this building will be devoted to special fever cases, or, should there be a demand, private cases will be taken in. ”

“ Orthopædic and Spinal Hospital— Was founded in June, 1817, the present establishment in Newhall Street being entered upon in December, 1877. All kinds of bodily deformity, hernia, club feet, spinal diseases, malformations, and distortions of limbs, &c., are treated daily (at two o'clock) free of charge, except where instruments or costly supports are needed, when the patient must be provided with subscribers' tickets in proportion to the cost thereof. In 1881 and 1882, 4,116 cases received attention, 2,064 being new cases, and 678 from outside Birmingham. ”

“ Upon the shelves are crowds of books, whose pages open no more to those clear, thoughtful eyes, and scattered in the drawers and boxes are the notes and memoranda, and pocket-books, and diaries never to be continued now. ”

“ Sam Timmins, "to open the door and look upon the strange relics there is to stand in the very presence of the mighty dead. Everything in the room remains just as it was left by the fast failing hands of the octogenarian engineer. ”

“ The system of admission by subscribers' tickets was done away with Nov. 1, 1875, a registration fee of 1s. being adopted instead. This fee, however, is not reinquired in urgent cases or accident, nor when the patient is believed to be too poor to pay it. The ordinary income for the year 1882 was £5,580, as compared with £1,834 in the previous year, when the ordinary income was supplemented by the further sum of £4,356 from the Hospital Sunday collection, which falls to the Queen's Hospital once in three years. The chief items of ordinary income were, subscriptions 1881, £2,780 ”

“ We have all lived long, and must soon part. God have mercy upon us, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!"
This was probably nearly the last letter Johnson wrote, for on the 13th of the following month, just twenty-seven days after his arrival in London from Birmingham, oppressed with disease, he was numbered with the dead. ”

“ Of the 281 in-patients admitted last year, 205 had to undergo surgical operations of various kinds, 124 being serious cases; notwithstanding which the mortality showed a rate of only 5-6 per cent. As a rule many weeks and months of care and attention are needed to restore the general health of those who may have, while in the hospital, successfully recovered from an operation, but there has not hitherto been the needful funds or any organisation for following up such cases after they have left Sparkhill. ”

“ The many sources for acquiring knowledge now provided at such institutions as the Midland Institute, the Mason College, &c., have no doubt tended much to the end, but, considering the amount of good derived by the pupils from the many classes held in the Howard Street rooms, it is a pity the Institute should be allowed to drop. ”

“ A small payment, weekly, is looked for, if the patient can afford it, but a fair number are admitted free, and a much larger number visited, the average number of patients being nearly 5,000 per annum. ”

“ This most welcome and munificent offer, it need hardly be said, was gratefully accepted, and a general appeal was made for funds to properly endow the "Jaffray Suburban Hospital," so that its maintenance and administration shall not detract from the extending usefulness of the parent institution. The site chosen by Mr. Jaffray is at Gravelly Hill, and it is estimated the new branch hospital, of which the first stone was laid June 4, 1884, will cost at least £15,000 in erection. ”

“ For the house and some fifteen acres of land £100 rent was paid by Mr. Hubert Galton, in 1816 and following years, exclusive of taxes, and by way of comfort to the heavily-burdened householders of to-day, we may just add that, in addition to all those other duties loyal citizens were then called upon to provide for the exigencies of the Government, the parochial taxes on those premises from Michaelmas, 1816, to Michaelmas, 1817, included two church rates at 30s. each, three highway rates at 30s. each, and thirty-six levies for the poor at 30s. each—a total of £61 10s. ”

“ Being purchased in 1817 by the occupier of a neighbouring tavern called the Woolpack, the two names were united, and for a time the house was called the "Black Boy and Woolpack," the first part being gradually allowed to fall into disuse. Prior to its demolition it was the noted market hostelry for cattle dealers and others, the respected landlord. Mr. John Gough, who held the premises from 1848 till his death in 1877, being himself a large wholesale dealer. ”

“ On January 16, 1869, the workmen of the town decided to erect a new wing to the Hospital, and subscribed so freely that Lord Leigh laid the foundation stone Dec. 4, 1871, and the "Workmen's Extension" was opened for patients Nov. 7, 1873. In 1880 a bazaar at the Town Hall brought in £3,687 17s., increased by donations and new subscriptions to £5,969. ”

“ Towards the endowment fund there have been nine or ten donations of £1,000 each promised, and it is hoped a fully sufficient amount will be raised before the building is completed, for, in the words of Mr. ”