for "the numerous manufactures in Spitalfields and the eastern part of the Metropolis" generally; for then, as now, the main labour of London appears to have been done "in the East." It would take too long were we to follow in detail the growth of the institution from its start with 130 beds to its existing complement of well-nigh 800-by far the greatest number of beds in any similar charity in the Kingdom. We should find much the same story all through-far more people needing admission than, oftentimes, there was room for, and, at all times, there was money to pay for. The latter has always been the great hindrance to this noble institution-so differently circumstanced from its "endowed" sister-charities, Guy's, St. Bartholomew's, and St. Thomas's; and the marvel is, that the London Hospital should ever have reached its present acknowledged eminence I had almost said pre-eminence. But each succeeding generation of its Governors must have toiled and canvassed zealously in its service, at the same time striving to make the internal management of the institution in every way worthy of public confidence; and Providence has blessed these exertions in the cause of humanity. One of the most pleasing facts connected with the London Hospital is the enlightened views which appear always to have distinguished its managers. One somehow expects to find in bygone times that the protégé of the wealthy and influential subscriber would have a better chance at the hands of the ministrants of charity than he who had only his misfortune to recommend him; but it is gratifying constantly to come across, in the old records of the institution, distinct evidence that the severest cases were, "without fear or favour," always first admitted into its wards. It is perhaps not generally known that the School of Medicine attached to this charity was the earliest in which a complete course of professional education was organized; and the opportunities afforded for training in practical surgery, owing to the vast number of accidents received, have always been unrivalled. Of late years the number of medical cases has greatly increased; these, at least, keeping pace with the growth of population. Accidents, on the other hand, have not maintained their former relative proportion, owing probably to the non-increase of manufactures, &c., due to the depression of trade during the past few years. Another illustration of the catholic spirit of the great East End charity (whose adopted motto may well be Nihil humani a me alienum puto), was given when separate wards, kitchen, &c., were set apart for Jews, of whom large numbers live in the neighbourhood. Till then (shortly after 1840, I think) not only had no hospital made special provision for Hebrew patients, but, for long afterwards (till, in fact, the Metropolitan Free Hospital imitated the good example), at no other hospital could Jewish patients be dieted according to their own religious forms. The London Hospital is therefore deservedly popular among our Jewish brethren, and it reckons among its warmest supporters the Rothschilds and other distinguished families of that community. The number of children patients is also. astonishing. Indeed, the institution does not get half the credit that it should for this branch of its work-for which of the hospitals, specially devoted to the treatment of children, can claim to have admitted 1,107 children in one year? And yet that was the number of this most interesting and helpless class of patients that the London Hospital received within its walls last year. One dreads to think of the total amount of illness and suffering there must be among the infant population of this district: for besides the London Hospital there are two special Children's Hospitals—one at Ratcliff, the other at Bethnal Green—both of which have their hands full of work, and are only hindered and fettered in it by "want of funds "-that chronic ailment, unfortunately, of so many useful charities. A sketch, however brief, of the history of the charity would be incomplete without reference to the visit of the Queen in March, 1876. The Queen had long watched with interest the progress of the London Hospital, and when an important addition of 200 beds was made to its resources (chiefly by the munificence of one of the rich Livery Companies of the City, the Grocers) her Majesty graciously visited the institution to dedicate the new buildings to their holy and benevolent object. A grand day, indeed, was this for the East of London; and Queen and people were alike deeply gratified. No prouder day had ever dawned on the London Hospital-not even when, twelve years before, the heir to the throne, with the Princess of Wales, had visited the institution in order to lay the first stone of the 13 “ Alexandra” wing. The London Hospital has now probably reached the fullest development of which a single establishment of the kind is capable, and its good management taxes all the energies of its Committee and officers. The necessities of the district will naturally, in course of time, demand still further hospital accommodation, but, I do not doubt, this will have to be provided, when the time comes, in some new institution. Of the 781 beds in the London Hospital, 447 are allotted to surgical, and 334 to medical cases; 50 and 20 of these respectively being for children (under twelve years of age). Of course it will not be imagined that all the beds are ever full at once. Last year, for instance, when 6,825 (Six thousand eight hundred and twenty-five!) patients were admitted, the highest number ever at the same time in the wards was 721; while the average number resident daily was 644. But there are throughout the hospital over twenty subdivisions for different classes of cases, and these classes have to be kept distinct. Besides the broad division of medical and surgical wards for men and for women, there are Accident, Ophthalmic, Obstetric, Children's, Isolating, and a variety of other wards, some of which may be full to overflowing while adjoining wards happen to have plenty of beds to spare. For the care of all these patients, there are twelve visiting physicians and eight visiting surgeons, besides a resident staff of fourteen medical or surgical officers, who carry out the instructions of the senior staff and have the charge of the patients in their absence. It will not surprise the reader to find that the nurses constitute "an army" in themselves. There are in fact about 130 nurses (head and assistant) altogether, under the direction of a matron. Of these about 30 are "probationers"-young women being trained as nurses. The nursing is a most important consideration at a hospital. There is no denying that good nursing is hard work-it tries the minds and bodies of those who are engaged in it; but surely no higher occupation can be found than that of helping in any way to alleviate the sufferings, and cure the ailments, of our fellow-creatures. Nearly 70 servants (male and female) are needed in the establishment, and large as is the number, none "eat the bread of idleness." Some idea of the merely physical work entailed upon the whole staff in their various capacities, may perhaps be gathered from the fact, that if all the floor space of the building wards, rooms, passages, all together-were spread out in one area, it would cover five acres and a half! A chaplain, assisted by two Scripture readers, has the spiritual care of the inmates; patients who prefer it are visited by their own ministers, and Roman Catholics and Jews, of course, are invariably attended by their own religious guides. The chaplain of a hospital becomes especially interested in his work, unlike ordinary parish duty as it is. As a layman I do not attempt to account for the circumstance, but such I believe it to be, and well it is that such is the case, both for patient and minister. I need not go into details of the administrative staff, consisting altogether of some fifteen officers, the greater part not requiring to be resident. It will readily be judged that in a vast establishment like that I am describing, the duties of the directing and clerical staff must be very onerous; especially when economy absolutely compels the governing body to employ no individual who can possibly be dispensed with. Those interested in the practical working of a large and complicated establishment of the kind, would do well to inspect the London Hospital for themselves. They would find every attention shown them by the officials, and after examining the wards and their general arrangements, they should visit the kitchen and laundry divisions-no slight matters, where perhaps seven or eight hundred people have to be provided for-all of which would be sure to strike their attention. The cooking is done by gas and steam, at a great saving both in fuel and labour compared with the ordinary methods. The expense of provisioning the large number of inmates that I have quoted is immense. The following are a few of the chief items for 1877 :— Meat-174,517 lbs., besides 1,133 lbs. of ex- nearly Cost. £6,197 1,474 2,231 626 932 2,800 Large as these figures and amounts are, the public may rest assured they are necessary. Nothing is wasted, and expenditure is reduced at all points where practicable, at the same time that the patients are stinted in nothing that is considered absolutely necessary for them by the doctors. The cases at the London Hospital are known to be of a severer kind than those that generally prevail in hospitals: since, besides the great proportion of accidents already noted, suitable applicants for admission are always more than can be received, and the most urgent cases only can be taken in. It may be of interest to mention that the cost of each fully-occupied bed last year was only a trifle over £59-an evidence of the care and economy with which the institution is administered. This account is, I fear, already too long, or one might give some particulars of the vast out-patient department 179 attached to the charity; I will therefore simply mention that between forty and fifty thousand persons are every year relieved as outpatients. The cost of this branch of the hospital work may be taken roughly at between £5,000 and £6,000 a year; the total expense for a year's maintenance of the hospital, at its last year's amount (the number of persons benefited have already been named), is nearly £44,000-for the greater part of which the charity depends on voluntary contributions. WET SUNDAYS. BY A WET-WEATHER WORSHIPPER. EVERYBODY has heard something of by the fire-side; the minister must trudge what has been said, written, and sung, on the hardships of a minister's life-of unreasonable church officials, adamantine hearers, small incomes, and the like; but how seldom is included in the catalogue of such hardships those common and trying events-wet Sundays. Yet wet Sundays must be amongst the minister's greatest hardships; for officials are not all unreasonable, hearers are not all adamantine, stipends are not all small, but all wet Sundays are hardships. Indeed, even unreasonable officials may at length become reasonable; hardhearted hearers may soften, become good ground, and yield golden harvests; and small incomes, by some possible good fortune, may become larger incomes; but wet Sundays! what can be done with these? Wet Sundays are incorrigible. Whatever may be the opinion of ministers on wet Sundays, in empty pews the opinion of the public is not difficult to read. It is unmistakable and peculiar; the wet of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday may be faced; but the wet of Sunday! at the idea of facing that the flesh and heart of the bravest fail. Not only ordinary mortals, but men who have hunted the lion down into his native den, rushed in the face of belching cannon on the land, and braved tornadoes on the deep, turn pale at the bare thought of standing face to face with the rain of wet Sundays: before that they can neither do nor dare. Their wisdom is to take care of themselves and stop at home. Yet, as far as one can judge, wet Sundays are the most trying, not to the people, but to the minister. The people may stop at home; the minister cannot. The people may sit through the rain. This, however, is no hardship to the ministers. Though Sunday rain might, and, whenever they are hardy enough to venture into it, doubtless does injure the people's health, for some hitherto unknown reason, Sunday rain does not injure the minister's health. This fact is clear and certain (vide Insurance Statistics), but the reason of the fact remains for the scientific or theological research of the future to discover. Meanwhile it may be that there is a special fitness in the muscle, sinew, bone, and blood of the minister's body to endure Sunday wet, as there is fitness in the Esquimo's body to endure Arctic cold, and in the negro's body to endure tropical heat. Or, on the other hand, perchance the solution lies not in scientific, but in theological fact. It may be that there is a special providence which protects ministerial health from the natural effects of Sunday rain, as Daniel was protected from the natural effects of the lion's den, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the natural effects of the fiery furnace. Be this as it may, the hardship of the minister's wet Sunday is not that he has to go through the wet; for, as a matter of fact, he does go through it, and afterwards lives to more than the average age of man. No, the hardship is the public "performance of Divine worship," with no public there to worship. Why don't congregations either shut up their churches on wet Sundays, or else come out to them? "Oh, because it is well to keep open for persons who live near," somebody replies. But the strange thing is, that it is the people who live near who do not come out on wet Sundays. Whilst on these days it is a matter of sur |