300 OLD AND NEW EDINBURGH. [Infirmary Street.
He had, moreover, to say prayers twice weekly,
and be ever ready to attend the dying when summoned
by them.
In 1763 a number of Scottish soldiers disbanded
on the great reduction of the army in that year, sick,
lame, and destitute, applied for admission to the
hospital. On this, an extraordinary meeting of the
managers was summoned, and their application was
granted, though the former did not consider themselves
bound in any way to do so ; and in that year,
Three were struck down ; two recovered, but one
became delirious.
The Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons had
been in the habit of giving medical attendance
in monthly rotation; but the managers, finding
this to prove inconvenient, selected two regular
physicians and four expert surgeons, to whom
various departments were committed. The four
latter were named substitutes, and divided the
year equally, so that each had his own quarter.
(Sot. Ma,a Vol. XXX.)
THE OLD ROYAL INFIRMARY. (After & Drawing by Paul Sandby, in Muiflands ?History of Edinburglr.?)
in pursuance of an order he received from the Commander-
inchief, Dr. Adam Austin commenced a
regular visitation of the military wards, on the state
of which he was bound to report to the Adjutant-
General in Scotland. The Doctor was a Fellow of
the Royal College of Surgeons. He married Anne,
daughter of Hugh Lord Semple, and left a daughter
who died so lately as March, 1864, aged IOO years
and more. (Scotsman,qth March, 1864.)
In 1768 the whole edifice narrowly escaped
destruction, apparently not .being provided with a
lightning conductor. On the 30th of July the south
wing was struck furiously by lightning; many of
the windows were destroyed and the building much
damaged; several of the patients felt the shock.
The other surgeons, or ordinaries of the Incorporation,
attended by monthly rotation. The four
substitutes, besides their quarterly attendance, had
their monthly tour of duty with the rest; ?and
when the month of any of the four fell in with his
quarter, then, either the next substitute in order
was to become his assistant, or he was to apply for
the assistance of another for that month, thzt the
attendance of two might at no time be wanting in
the Infirmary,?
Such was . the organised system of attendance ;
besides all this, the managers enjoined these substitutes?
to be present at all consultations, to take
charge of all dresses and dressings, of the record
of surgical cases kept by the surgeons? clerks, and
Infirmary Street.] DR. HAMILTON. ? 301
of the instruments for the use of the wards ; and
to each of these four surgeons, after 1766, was
assigned a salary in proportion to what the funds
of the institution admitted.
Distinct as these regulations were, they did not
work well, and a committee was appointed to confer
with the managers in 1769 to adjust certain
matters that were in dispute, and new arrangements
were made. Under these ?? one of the substitutes
was to be changed annually, and his place supplied
by a brother duly elected by the Incorporation
of Surgeons according
to seniority-
at least
in the order in
which they could
find any disposed
to accept
of the trust : all
this was to be
.done under the
authority of the
managers, and
to continue in
force until they
saw cmse to
alter it.?
About 1769
.the ordinary
patients, exclusive
of soldiers
and servants,
averaged about
sixty; but the
funds having
grown apace,
eighty were accommoda
t ed.
?If the phybe
mentioned that?between 1770 and 1775 the
numbers admitted yearly at an average amounted
to 1,567Q, and the number of deaths 634, and,
omitting fractional parts, the deaths were to the
numbers admitted as I to 25.
In 1778 the total number of patients with their
attendants made up a family of 230, but so rapid
has been the increase of the population, that betweenoctober
1846 and October 1847 no fewer
than 7,576 patients sought refuge within its walls.
Of these 1,059 died-? a large number no doubt,?
THE OLD ROYAL INFIKMARY, 1820. (Affer Storm..)
sicians, on -a due consideration of certain cases
thought otherwise, no more were to be admitted,
and those taken in, so long as they remained
supernumeraries, were expected to pay sixpence
per day.?
Dr. John Stedman, on the 2nd of August, 1773,
was elected in place of Dr. Drummond, who had
emigrated to Bristol ; but his health was so infirm,
that in 1775 Dr. Black was chosen in his place,
and afterwards Dr. James Hamilton senior, long
one of the ornaments of the city; and after obtaining
also the office of physician to George
Heriot?s, the Trades Maiden, and Merchant Maiden
Hospitals, he superintended these benevolent insti-
&u$ions for upwards of fifty years.
As an estimate of the good accomplished it may
says a report,
?still, but for
such a house of
refuge, how
many more
would have
breathed out
their last amidst
the noxious
abodes of our
city, spreading
wider and wider
the pestilential
calamity which
has swept away
its thousands of
victims in all
parts of the
country.?
In the year
1848 the chap
lain was required
by new
regulations to
read a portion
of the Scrip
tures, and engage
in devotional
exercises in every ward in the house-a
duty which generally occupied about five hours ;
he had to meet the convalescent patients in chapel
for religious duty every evening ; to be ready to
attend the dying, and he had to preach twice on
Sunday to the nurses, servants, and all patients
who could attend.
In the old house over 5,000 patients were admitted
annually, of whom about 2,300 were surgid
cases. The average number of out-door patients
yearly was about 12,000, obtaining the benefit
of the highest professionai skill of the medical and
surgical officers, and receiving all the necessary
dressings, appliances, and comforts at the expense
of the house, which has an admirable sta?f of nurses
under a lady-superintendent.
