edition. The Council would urge all members of the Society to take in the Reporter, and to ask their friends to do so. more and more by those interested in charitable work, from the standIt is recognised point of the larger charity which has been referred to in this report, as a useful and suggestive journal; and if all members of the Societystill more, if all direct and indirect participators in the charity organisation movement-contributed towards it the annual contribution of 6s. 6d., there is no reason why even the weekly issue should not at once become self-supporting. For the 'Charities Register and Digest' also a word of appeal is necessary. It has been one of the first important steps towards the organisation of knowledge in regard to the London Charities. It has been generally acknowledged to be the most complete and valuable book on the subject, and of the greatest use to individual almoners; and it has necessarily been a laborious and expensive work. It is fair, therefore, to ask all members of the Society to do their best to make it known among their friends and to extend its sale. CONVALESCENT WORK. The Report of the Convalescent Section of the Medical and Convalescent Sub-Committee is as follows: 'REPORT OF THE CONVALESCENT COMMITTEE. 'The development of the convalescent work during the year has been continuous and gratifying. A glance at the returns of cases given on page 40 will show that the number, in many months, was almost, if not quite, double what it was in the corresponding months last year. The returns being for nine months only-that is to say, from January to September inclusive-whilst the financial statement, owing to the change in the financial year of the Society, is for one complete year, renders comparison more difficult than it would otherwise have been, but the cost of the cases sent through the Convalescent Committee maintains its average of £1. 5s. 6d. each; and taking this, as was done in the last report, as a basis for calculation, it is found that about £1,619. 5s. has been spent for 1,270 cases in 1884. 'On page 42 is an interesting comparative statement, showing how much by this computation has been expended on behalf of each District Committee. 'For the first on the list, Newington, this reaches the large total of £121. 2s. 6d., from which the amount gradually decreases according to the varying degrees of convalescent activity amongst the different Committees. To meet this heavy expenditure on the part of the Central Committee, and to distribute to some extent the burden of collecting funds over the whole Society, a change was introduced in the spring of the year by which applications, instead of being received free of cost, were each accompanied by one sum of 10s. further modified by the introduction of a commutation payment of This, again, was still £25, which was allowed for one year from the date of payment, to represent and take the place of this 10s. fee. 'The result has been highly gratifying, not merely to the Central Committee, but to the Society at large, inasmuch as 15 Committees have found it worth their while to raise this annual sum, thus ensuring a fixed income to the Central Committee of about one-fifth of its total expenditure. The burden of collecting funds has been to this large extent distributed, and moreover a very satisfactory feeling of unity in one common object has been encouraged throughout the Society. 'The remainder of the funds have been raised through the kindness of the general public, which has responded with much liberality to the appeals made in the papers and through the post; but if the plan is ever to approach the proportions aimed at by its promoters, and the convalescent needs of the metropolis to be at all adequately provided for, new friends and fresh subscriptions are an absolute necessity. 'In the forefront of our supporters appear the names of those who have become the donors of permanent beds, of which a goodly list may be found on page 43. As each reserved bed falls in at the expiration of its year, a list of the patients sent to it is submitted for the information of the donor, who is asked again to renew his kindly interest and help. It is pleasant to be able to say that hitherto all who have been thus asked have most willingly assented-indeed, some have come forward beforehand and have expressed their satisfaction by unsolicited but welcome offers of renewed support. Of the many who have given smaller sums to the convalescent work, a considerable number have renewed their donations, and have thus kept in good repair our General Fund--a fund essential to the complete working of the scheme, inasmuch as by its means patients can be provided for in other Homes when all the permanent beds are engaged. On page 44 will be seen a list of beds taken for the summer of 1884. It will readily be understood that convalescent work is most active during June, July, and August ; consequently a large increase of accommodation is required during those months. This is accomplished partly by the summer beds, and partly by the friendly and mutually helpful relations established between the Committee and the Homes, a large number of which are glad to place any accommodation they may have to spare at the disposal of the Society. "The Central Committee has maintained an active correspondence with some 70 Homes, and thus has been kept fully acquainted with what may be called the condition of the convalescent market, a condition, from the nature of the case, subject to constant and considerable variation. 'It has been able to distribute its cases in different parts of England, wherever the pressure on the Homes was least; and by this means it has been able to deal promptly and effectually with all the 1,270 cases, not excepting even the 243 which came during the month of August. The Committee view without apprehension the probable increase of their work, inasmuch as it may be fairly expected that the arrangements they have set on foot will enable the supply of vacancies to keep pace fully with the demand. There is indeed some slight reason to deprecate-so far as women and children are concerned-the too rapid multiplication of Homes. Suggestions in regard to this matter will be most willingly tendered to anyone contemplating the establishment of such an institution. It may be enough now to observe that since the publication of the first report of this Committee, now nine months ago, many new Homes have been started. A minor point which the Committee feel to be a matter for congratulation is the fact that all the Homes, with two or three unavoidable exceptions, have kindly agreed to accept the medical certificate introduced by the Society. This form, which, however, may from time to time be amended, has thus practically become an almost universal convalescent certificate-a change for the better which will be much appreciated by all who can remember the immense variety of medical certificates formerly in use. 'It is with peculiar satisfaction that the Convalescent Committee record the kind willingness of so influential and experienced a body as the Board of Management of the Metropolitan Convalescent Institution to fall in with their scheme, and accept the principle of the reservation of a bed for the use of patients sent by our Society. 'One other noteworthy fact in comparing the work of this year with that of the last, is that the practice of boarding-out through the Central Committee has been considerably curtailed. Experience has shown that unless each District Committee boards out its own cases, there is much greater liability to complaint on the part of the patients, owing, probably, to the smaller amount of supervision which can be exercised over the quality of the accommodation, and to the fact that cottage life is not always agreeable to patients who have either heard of or experienced the comforts of a regular Home. Boarding-out, however, possesses such capacities for expansion that it is always well to keep in mind that a local or District Committee development of this branch of the work is at any time possible, and may be productive of excellent results. 'Not the least pleasant and satisfactory part of the work is the cordiality and friendliness of the managers and lady superintendents of Convalescent Homes. The Hon. Secretary and the Lady Secretary have, between them, visited nearly all the Homes to which patients are sent, and to this personal intercourse the success that has attended the operations of the Committee is very greatly to be attributed. Local needs and local advantages have thus become known, and the task of selecting the Home best suited for each successive case has been proportionately lightened. The Committee earnestly hope that the public will continue to strengthen its hands by subscribing liberally to its funds. The generous policy which has led the Council of the Charity Organisation Society to take upon its General Fund all the management expenses of this Committee enables the latter to expend all contributions directly on convalescent relief. Foregoing, for the sake of illustration, absolute accuracy, it is approximately true to say that every shilling sent to the Convalescent Committee means one day in a country home for a poor and sick Londoner. 'One thing only remains to be said, and on this occasion, at least, the Committee feel they would be wanting in a clear duty if they suffered it to pass unnoticed. Depending as the Society does to so large an extent upon volunteer labour, it is not usual for reference to be made to the efforts of any single individual. It is, however, only right to place on record the fact that the rapid and successful development of the convalescent operations supervised by this Committee are mainly due to the energy and devotion of its Hon. Secretary, Mr. L. T. Scarth. Aided by the long experience and untiring zeal of Mr. C. S. Loch, the Secretary of the Charity Organisation Society, Mr. Scarth gave to the cause precisely the impetus that was needed, and, whatever be the ultimate issue, the progress it has made under his auspices cannot but be extremely gratifying, not only to him, but to the Committee with which he is associated. 'The correspondence, the arrangements for placing patients in Homes without delay, and the office work generally, require the most assiduous and patient attention to details, and the Committee feel that the very competent services of their Lady Secretary, Miss Bowman, deserve special mention and their very sincere thanks.' MEDICAL WORK. Consequent on the appointment of a Medical Secretary, for a year at least, active steps have been taken to promote co-operation in medical relief, a work necessarily difficult and slow. It was thought that assistance might often be required for the families of patients in the hospitals, and a plan has been agreed to with the authorities at one hospital for referring such cases to the District Committees. The plan has not yet been long enough in operation to allow of an opinion being formed of its utility. But it is an experiment in a right direction, and in one way and another there is a growing co-operation between the hospitals and the Society. In another direction also an attempt is being made to facilitate the supply of charitable relief. Surgical apparatus is not as a rule provided (except for in-patients) from the Samaritan Funds of hospitals. The societies which furnish it are mostly hampered by the letter system, which it is particularly difficult to apply to the distribution of this kind of relief; and consequently for a large number of the cases which come before the District Committees it has been found extremely difficult to make prompt provision at a reasonable cost. There has been, in consequence, established at the Central Office, on the plan of the Convalescent Department, a department for the supply of surgical apparatus to District Committees, in accordance with the following resolutions : That, in order to secure an economical, speedy, and, so far as possible thorough treatment of cases requiring surgical apparatus, District Conimittees be invited to send all such cases as they cannot promptly deal with themselves to the Medical Section of the Medical and Convalescent Sub-Committee, in accordance with the following plan: (1) That, subject to adjustment hereafter, as experience may suggest, the District Committees obtain the funds required to meet two-thirds of the cost of each instrument, and that the Council, out of a fund to be established for this purpose, pay one-third of the cost. (2) That the Medical Sub-Committee do not, as a rule, make use of letters for surgical apparatus in any of the cases sent to them by District Committees. (3) That, so far as is necessary, the co-operation of surgeons connected with the various hospitals be obtained in prescribing proper instruments, and subsequently ensuring that they fit the patient and meet his need. (4) That a fund be established by the Council to carry out these proposals. AUDITORS. The Council have to thank Mr. A. R. Barrett and Mr. T. J. Bradley, of Her Majesty's Exchequer and Audit Office, for auditing their accounts. CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL. The Council have also to thank General Sir Orfeur Cavenagh, K.C.S.I., for acting as their Chairman in the present year and for consenting to continue to do so in 1885. |