A PROPOSAL FOR ERECTING AN INFIRMARY AT HERRFORD. THE Number of INFIRMARIES which have been erected in this Kingdom, and the flourishing Condition in which they con- tinue, after many Years Expe- rience, evidently shew the Expe- diency and Excellence of a like Provision, wherever it can be made, for the Relief of those un- happy Persons who stand in Need of such Assistance; I mean, the laborious, industrious Poor, the most useful Part of Society, the Riches and Strength of every Country, who are under the united Distresses of Sickness and Poverty; and who, in their best Circumstances, have frequently too little to render their Lives comfortable. As there is a Period put to the long and expensive War which the Nation hath been engaged in, by a Peace that seems to promise fair to be firm and lasting, one would now hope, that the evident Success attending the INFIRMARIES, which have been provided in other Coun- ties, should encourage a like generous Design, for the Be- nefit of our own and its Neighbourhood, and that nothing more can be necessary to excite the Hearts of the Bene- volent, to contribute all in their Power to begin and per- fect this good Work, than the laying before them a general View of the Ends intended, and the Benefits which may be expected from such an House of Charity. The Poor, in all ordinary and common Cases, are provided for by Acts of Parliament, and Officers appointed in every Parish to take Care of them. But no Method hath been yet found out by the Legislature, to extend the publick Relief to numerous occasional Objects of Cha- rity, who are disabled from making any Provision for themselves and Families, by long and painful Distempers, or sudden and grievous Accidents; and who, as they are not, and cannot be supplied by the Parish Officers, with such Assistances as are absolutely necessary to their Cure, must often inevitably perish without some farther Relief. They have the Misfortune to be too necessitous to supply themselves, and yet not indigent enough to be taken on the Parish; and are therefore too generally left to lan- guish in Affliction, without any benevolent Hand to afford them the Necessaries they want, or to suffer through the wretched Quackery of ignorant People; who, by pre- tending to cure, often destroy them, or by rash and un- skilful Applications increase their Disorders, and leave them more miserable than they found them. The only effectual Method hitherto found out, for supplying such indigent Persons with every Thing proper for their speedy Recovery from Disorders, and under the distressing Accidents which befall them, hath been the opening Publick INFIRMARIES, to be maintained by voluntary Subscriptions and Benefactions; into which all those poor and unhappy Persons, who are deemed Ob- jects of such Charity, may be received, sufficiently pro- vided for, and taken under the Care of a Physician and Surgeon, that they may be treated in the best Manner, and as their several Cases shall require. To prevent any Misapplication of Subscriptions and Benefactions, Rules are made for every INFIRMARY now subsisting, and Reports of the State of their Affairs are published every Year; from which may be collected all the necessary Regulations, under which such an INFIR- MARY may be established in this County, on a good and lasting Foundation, without Danger of any great Mistake; since all those Rules and Orders have been found, by long Experience, to be abundantly sufficient to promote the Ends, and secure the Continuance, of these extensively useful Charities. The Provision of an Edifice, whether by building a new one, or repairing an old one, for the Reception of the poor Patients, is absolutely necessary to execute this benevolent Scheme, for relieving those who are peculiarly the Objects of it; since Physicians and Surgeons cannot give their Attendance, nor can the proper Medicines be dispensed with any Conveniency, if the Patients be wide from one another, and there be not a fixed Place, where every Thing may be transacted in Reference to them. And though the providing such Place must be attended with an extraordinary Expence; yet it should be con- sidered, that it comes but once; and, as it will render the Execution of the Charity much less expensive in many Instances, this Expence may justly be said to be annually decreasing; and, after some Years to be quite annihi- lated:—A Confederation which should excite all the Pro- moters of this excellent Design to a more liberal Sub- scription at the first, than it may ever afterwards be ne- cessary for them to make. ’Tis a considerable Advantage also to the Patients themselves, to be placed in clean and wholesome Apart- ments, and kept to a regular and proper Diet, which in many Cases is as much, or more necessary to them than Physick itself. It is a farther Advantage, that such Edi- fice will be a Repository for the Medicines that are to be made Use of; which may be procured at the easiest Rates, and which, when administered by the Prescrip- tion of an able Physician, will be of so inconsiderable Expence, as that much greater Sums would not be of that extensive Service to the Patients, applied in any other Way. The INFIRMARY also will be a proper Place where the Contributors are to meet, and transact the Business appertaining to the Charity: And as a conside- rable Number of them will always be upon the Spot, and have their Weekly Meetings, they will be able effectually to prevent any Misapplications, or to rectify any acci- dental Disorders. It is farther worthy of Observation, that some of our Poor Who have been distressed by Sickness or Accident, and could not get Relief any other Way, have been removed from this County to distant INFIRMARIES: But the Expences of sending them thither, and of bringing them Home again, are said to be much greater than would maintain such Persons, and provide Assistance and Medicines for their Recovery, could they be taken Care of at an INFIRMARY in the County to which they belong. There is a religious Use to be made of this Charity, which will undoubtedly have its Weight with every good Christian. The Clergy have in other Places, and doubt- less would in this, attend by Rotation, and officiate daily to the Edification and Comfort of the Patients. There are many useful Books which may be put into their Hands, both in Time of Illness, and on their Recovery; by the Perusal of which, it may reasonably be hoped, many would go out of the INFIRMARY, greatly impro- ved in their Morals as well as in their Health. As therefore no Inconvenience can arise out of the Nature of the Charity I have been recommending, or attend the Execution of it, but what may be obviated by the Rules and Orders drawn up for the Government of the several Hospitals already erected in this Kingdom, and by the prudent Management of the Contributors:-- As there are so many real and substantial Benefits, which must arise from the careful and prudent Direction of it: —As the Persons to be provided for, by it, are the Wretched and Helpless, made so by Distemper or Acci- dent, who can have a seasonable Remedy by no other Provision:—-Since the Example of all the English Counties around us recommend such an Establishment for their Benefit:—Since Humanity, Compassion, and Christian Charity, powerfully plead in their Favour, it is there- fore most humbly and earnestly recommended to the Great and Good, to the Able and Benevolent, candidly and seriously to consider the Nature and Advantages of this Proposal, and give their Advice and Assistance to- wards the effecting so laudable and useful a Design. And as the Nobility, Gentry, and Clergy of this County are no Ways inferior to those of others, for their Integrity, Humanity of Nature, Christian Spirit, and Abilities to do Good; with their Encouragement this excellent Charity cannot fail of succeeding, nor such an INFIRMARY of being established, as shall do lasting Honour to the Foun- ders of it, and be of perpetual Service to the Poor and Miserable. The Gentlemen of our City, who profess Physick and Surgery, bear so worthy a Character, that there can be no Reason to doubt of their Readiness to attend, without Fee, or other Reward than the Pleasure of doing Good, to all such unhappy Persons who may stand in Need of their Assistance; and our noble and generous Prelate hath given a convincing Proof of his Publick Spirit, by being so greatly Instrumental in raising a spa- cious Edifice for publick Utility. It would therefore be Injustice to his amiable Character, to doubt of his good Wishes for the Success of this Proposal, or of his using every Method, which can be reasonably expected from him, of contributing to the Success of it. And should his Lordship think proper to patronize the Design, by personally applying to those who are able to carry it into Execution, (a Thing very little indeed to be expected from him, after such Fatigue of this Kind as he has already encountered) the good Effect of it could not but be answer- able to the warmest Wishes of the Benevolent. For we are very sensible, that, on a late charitable Occasion, se- vered Hundred Pounds were raised by his Lordship’s Example and Influence, more than in all Probability would ever have been advanced, without that engaging Excitement. The Person who has the Pleasure of making this Application should think himself extremely happy, could he contribute in any Measure to the Success of it. A Tenderness of Constitution, together with his private Station in Life, have rendered him ever unfit for applying personally on any such Occasions.--But his Love to his Country, and his Compassion for the Unhappy, prompt him thus to address the Publick; humbly hoping, that Providence will favour his good Intentions, and that the Importance and Utility of the Design will secure the general Attention and Encouragement. T. T.