cases of vaccination, not one death had ensued; that it was now
practised in all parts of the world, and favourably received, and that
the National Institution of France had pronounced it to be the greatest
discovery of the last century. {122}

Feb. 4th, 1792, has an entry, in no way bearing upon dispensary work, but
interesting as a memento of an old mode of conveyance. The proprietors
of the sedan chair asked permission for it to be kept at the Dispensary,
for which they were willing to pay one guinea annually; and this was
agreed to at the next meeting of the Governors. This chair was let out
to convey ladies to evening parties in the town. It was borne by two
men, and was in use within living memory, as late as "in the sixties."

April 21st, 1792. A gift of apparatus for the recovery of drowned
persons, with a drag, was received from the Royal Humane Society of
London. A water bed was afterwards purchased, which was let out for a
small fee to poor patients, temporarily bed-ridden.

On Nov. 28th, 1809, at a special meeting of the Governors, the usefulness
of the Dispensary was further extended by the appointment of a midwife,
to attend upon poor women in labor, both in town and country, being paid
from the funds of the charity, a fee of 3/6 for each case; and from the
year 1810 to 1829, inclusive, Mrs. Elizabeth Southwell is mentioned, from
time to time, as acting in that capacity. In the years 1829, 30 and 31,
owing to the increase in the number of patients, special appeals were
made to the landowners of the district for increased support.

In July, 1834, a resolution was passed that doctors attending patients at
the Dispensary, might introduce pupils, to study cases under their
treatment; and, in one case, a lady applied for permission to attend a
course of instruction, in order that she might be enabled to assist her
husband in making up medicines. From 1840 to 1894 drugs were supplied by
Messrs. Herring & Co., of London, but since that they have been supplied
by local chemists, who are subscribers.

In the autumn of 1840 there was an epidemic of scarlatina, and of the 237
patients on the books, 50 were suffering from that complaint. In
consequence of the additional work thus caused, the salary of the
dispenser was raised from 40 to 60 pounds a year.

Again, with regard to a new source of income, among early notices we find
the following: that on Sept. 29th, 1790, the first anniversary of the
Dispens