Rules of the Hospital.
A general court of the Governors is held four times a year; namely, in the months of March, June, September, and December, to receive the report of the quarterly committees, elect a new committee, and transact such other business as may then be laid before them.
A house committee is appointed at every general quarterly court, consisting of thirteen Governors, three of whom are a quorum. This committee meets every Tuesday morning at eleven o’clock in the forenoon, at the hospital, to receive and discharge women, inspect the diet and provisions, order any furniture and conveniences that may from time to time be wanted, and to examine into and regulate the conduct of all the servants and patients of the house. These committees are to make their reports to the general quarterly courts.
The number of beds at present in the hospital is thirty-three.
A Physician, a Man-midwife, and a Surgeon in ordinary, attend daily at the hospital; besides whom the house is supplied with a Physician and Man-midwife extraordinary, a Surgeon extraordinary, and an apothecary, who supplies the patients with such medicines as shall be found necessary in their respective cases. And that the patients may not want necessary comfort under their afflictions, a Clergyman has undertaken the kind and charitable office of attending the house as Chaplain, baptizes the children born there, churches the women, and reads prayers publickly twice a week. All these gentlemen attend without fee or reward.
A matron, who is a skilful midwife, constantly resides in the hospital, and acts as such in all natural and easy labours.
There are a sufficient number of nurses and other servants to take care of the lying-in women, and do the common business of the house.
Also a beadle, who constantly resides at the hospital, to be ready to go on all messages, on sudden emergencies, and summon the Governors, &c.
Note, the servants of the house are forbid to take any fee or reward from the lying-in women, on any pretence whatsoever, on pain of being discharged.
Married women admitted into this hospital, must previously produce a certificate of their marriage from a lawful Minister, or in case they cannot, then an affidavit of their being married, and the time when and the place where, and also of the settlement of their husbands, and by what means such settlement was obtained. And no woman is to be taken into the house, who hath any contagious distemper, or has been accustomed to receive alms of a parish.