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NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
          Washington 
 
 
ACCOUNT
DESIGN,  ORIGIN,
PRESENT STATE /^0ml®>/>
V
PHILADELPHIA DISPENSARY.
PHILADELPHIA:
"HINTED EY KIMBER, CONRAD, & CO.




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          1805. 
 
             ACCOUNT

                OF THE

DESIGN, ORIGIN, AND PRESENT STATE

                OF THE

  PHILADELPHIA DISPENSARY.
  A CONSIDERATION of the dis-
tresses of the Poor, when afflicted with
disease, and of their inability to provide
for themselves  in such a situation, gave
rise to the design of establishing a Dis-
pensary for their relief,  in 1786.  This
first effort of the kind in the United States
of America has been  attended  with  the
happiest effects, and the example has been
followed in most of our principal cities.

  The objects  of the Institution are  the
indigent sick, of every description, and in 
4
ACCOUNT OF THE
every disease, when recommended by the
Contributors....They are visited at their
own houses, when unable to go abroad ;
but those who can come out, attend at the
Dispensary, where  the  physicians pre-
scribe for them at stated times.

   The apothecary resides at the Dispen-
sary, receives applications for admission,
and  records the name, age,  occupation,
and residence of the patients;  their dis-
eases, the event, and the name of the Con-
tributor who recommends them. He gives
information thereof to the attending phy-
sicians,  when they require being visited
at their own houses....he prepares and
records all the prescriptions of thePhy-
sicians, including medicines, wine, sago,
oatmeal and barley.  When cured, the pa-
tients are required to take a discharge to
the contributor who recommended them.

  The city and liberties are divided into
two districts. Two physicians are on du- 
      PHILADELPHIA DISPENSARY.    5
 ty at the same time ; who, on the alternate
 days of the week, attend, at the Dispen*
 sary, such patients of their respective
 districts, as are able to go abroad.

   The funds of the institution are, Five
 Dollars annually paid by  each Contribu-
 tor ; or, Ten Guineas  at one payment,
 constitutingalife subscription...Legacies,
 and Donations also form  a  considerable
 part of the Fund.

   The  form of a Legacy  is  as follows....
 " I give and bequeath  to the Philadel-
phia Dispensary,  the sum of         to
be paid to their Treasurer  for the time
being,  and applied towards carrying on
the charitable designs of the said Insti-
tution."

   The general business  of the institution
is directed by twelve Managers,  who are
annually elected by the contributors. The
Managers meet every month, and annual- 
6
ACCOUNT OF THE
Iy appoint  six attending, and four con-
sulting Physicians and Surgeons, a Trea-
surer, and an Apothecary.  A charter of
Incorporation was procured in 1796.

  The attending Physicians are on duty,
in succession, for two months at a  time.
They apply to the Consulting Physicians
in difficult  cases.  The physicians give
their attendance gratis.

   The want of a convenient situation was,
for a long time, sensibly felt by the  Man-
agers,  and induced them in 1800, to pur-
chase a lot of ground in Fifth-street, and
to erect thereon,  a commodious building.
The funds for this purpose consisted of
some stock purchased with former sav-
ings....of donations, solicited for the pur-
pose amongst our fellow-citizens....and of
several liberal bequests.   A debt, howe-
ver,  still remains on the lot and building,
and although a very  strict attention  to
ceconomy is regarded, yet the  annual con- 
PHILADELPHIA DISPENSARY.     7
tributions are seldom sufficient to answer
the expenses, as the number of patients
has, for some time past, been upwards of
two thousand, every year.  But we now
indulge the pleasing hope, that the Insti-
tution may be considered as permanently
established.

    OFFICERS OF THE INSTITUTION,
           Elected, January,  1805.

             MANAGERS.
          William White,
          Samuel Pleasants,
          Henry Helmuth,
          Robert Blackwell,
          Lawrence Seckel,
          George Fox,
           Robert Smith,
           John Kaighn,
           Godfrey Haga,
           Robert Ralston,
           Ebenezer Hazard,
           Samuel P. Griffitts. 
8        ACCOUNT OF THE, &C.
  Attending Physicians and Surgeons.
       Dr. John B. C. Rousseau,
          James Stuart,
          Nathaniel Chapman,
          Peter Miller,
          Charles Meredith,
          James Hutchinson.

  Consulting Physicians and Surgeons.
       Dr. William Shippen,
          Adam Kuhn,
          Benjamin Rush,
          Thomas Parke.

  Treasurer....John Clifford.
  Apothecary....Henry Wismer.

  Published by direction of the Board of
Managers,

     WILLIAM WHITE, President.
  Philadelphia, Feb. 27th, 1805. 
 
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