At the municipal elections for 1850, parties were returned to the Council avowedly “to put a stop to the working of the act altogether;” but the dignity of the Council and its proceedings was not improved by this infusion of new blood. Up to the present time not a single step has been taken towards the practical application of the act in the city; but, instead of that, the Council have been engaged in a dispute with the surveyor, whom they refused properly to remunerate—and thus they have involved the city in great expense to no sort of purpose. The details of this affair it would be altogether undesirable to resuscitate, and the more so, as the Central Board have pronounced the Council to be entirely in the wrong; but there is reason to hope that wiser and more enlightened views, on a subject which involves the future prosperity of the city and the health and life of its inhabitants, will soon prevail.
WORCESTER INFIRMARY.
This noble charity had its origin in the philanthropy of the medical men of Worcester in the year 1745. It was first opened in a room in Silver Street, and it was not for twenty years afterwards that the present hospital was built, at an expense of upwards of £6,000. It has been enlarged at various periods since that time, and is now capable of accommodating 100 in-patients. The funded property of the institution exceeds £27,000, and the annual subscriptions amount to upwards of £1,200. The physicians and surgeons attached to the institution at the beginning of the present century, were Dr. Johnstone, Dr. Seward, and Dr. Mylne; Mr. Pennell Cole, Mr. Sandford, and Mr. Carden. The following are minutes of the appointments which have since taken place, and of the more important proceedings of the governors:
1800—January 31—Election of physician in the room of Dr. Johnstone, who resigned. There were three candidates, and the choice of the subscribers fell on Dr. Skey, who had 127 votes; Dr. Philip W. Wilson 108, and Dr. Barnett 73.
1800—June 27—At a quarterly meeting of the governors, it was ordered that all legacies and benefactions amounting to or exceeding £50 be funded.
1801—August 7—In consequence of “the distressed state of the Infirmary and the dearness of every article of provision,” the order respecting the funding of £50 legacies was suspended.
1801—August 28—Dr. Barnett unanimously elected one of the physicians in the room of Dr. Chambers, resigned.
1803—February 1—Dr. Philip W. Wilson unanimously elected in the room of Dr. Skey, resigned.
1810—March 30—It was ordered that the property of the institution, then invested in the Three per Cents., should be transferred to the Four per Cent. Government Annuities.
1812—June 26—Ordered that in future the secretaries of the Infirmary should give security, by bond, to the amount of £200, for the delivery of all books and papers belonging to the Infirmary. This was in consequence of the late secretary, Mr. Staples, having refused to give up the books, and a dispute as to the balance due from him. The funds being very low and inadequate to meet the expenses, the Bishop of the Diocese requested the parochial clergy to make collections in their respective churches on behalf of the institution, by which means £1,483 were added to the funds.