NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
             Washington
Founded 1836
U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
             Public Health Service 
 
*>:*■'<'*>:
  :•?,;,>';*.. 
INSTITUTION
OF THE
V
  BOSTON  DISPENSARY,
FOR THE
MEDICAL RELIEF OF THE POOR.
XncoY\iOYatfc& 1801,
        BOSTON :

PRINTED BY JOSEPH T. BUCKINGHAM,

      NO. 17, CORNHILL,

          1817.
\ 
 
 Comjnomveahh  of Massachusetts,


IN THE  YEAR OF  OUR LORD ONE  THOUSAND EIGHT
               HUNDRED AND  ONE.

*ln Act to  Incorporate Samuel Parker  and
   others into a  Society, by the  name of the
   Boston Dispensary.

  Whereas certain persons did in  the year 1796 as
sociate  and establish a  charitable  Institution in the
town  of Boston, for the  purpose of affording medical
advice and relief to the sick poor of said  town, under
the name of  the Boston Dispensary: And whereas
said Institution has been  of general  and essential ser-
vice to  such persons as  are not of ability to procure
medical  advice and aid for themselves ; ar.d the Mana?
gers of said Dispensary have represented to tliis Court
the difficulties under which they labour for want  of an
Incorporation, and have petitioned for an Act remedial
of those difficulties : And inasmuch as the intentions
of said persons appear to he deserving of encourage-
ment—

  SECT. 1.  Be  it therefore enacted by  the Senate
and House  of Representatives  in  General  Court as-
sembled,   and  by the authority of the  same, That the
Rev.  Samuel  Parker,  Samuel Stilluiau, and Samuel
"West, Doctors  in  Divinity, AVilliam Tudor,  John
Andrews, Thomas  Davis, Stephen Gorham, and  Sam-
uel Dunn, Esquires, Jonathan  Amory, Jim. Thomas
Brewer,  and  Benjamin Bnssey, Merchants,  and Na-
thaniel  Smith,  Physician, all  of said  Boston, the 
4
 Managers of said charitable Institution, together with
 Hieir Associates be, and they hereby are  incorporated
 and made a Body  Politic  for the purposes aforesaid,
 by the name.,of the Boston  Dispensary ; and that they,
 their associates, and  successors, have perpetual suc-
 cession hy the said  name, and have power to make by*
 laws for the  preservation  and advancement of said
 Institution not repugnant to the laws  of this Com-
 monwealth.

   SECT. 2.  Be it further enacted, That  the said
 Boston Dispensary be, and it is hereby authorized and
 empowered to make, appoint and have a common seal,
 and is hereby made liable to be sued, and enabled to
 sue and defend in its corporate capacity in any of the
 Courts of Record of this Commonwealth ; and is here-
 by licensed and empowered  to make purchases and to
 receive  grants and donations of real  and  personal
 estates, and to hold the same for the  charitable pur-
 poses aforesaid ; provided the rents and profits of the
 real estate, together with the interest of the  personal
 estate, shall not  exceed  the sum of  five thousand dol-
 lars, and to manage and dispose of such estates, as to
 the said Corporation shall appear fit.

  SECT. 3.  Be it further  enacted  by the authority
aforesaid, That  the  contributors to said Institution
shall meet  at Boston  on  the  second  Thursday  in
October, annually, for  the purpose  of eleeting by bal-
lot twelve Managers and a  Treasurer, public  notice of
the time and place of holding such meeting being given
once at least in two of the  newspapers published  in
 said town seven  days before the  day of meeting, and
rotes may at all elections be given either in person  or
 by proxy. 
5
   SECT. 4.  Be it further enacted,  That the business
 of said Managers shall be  to appoint the Physicians,
 Surgeons, and Apothecary of said Dispensary, to pro-
 vide  medicines  for  the patients recommended by the
 contributors, and to  regulate all affairs relative to the
 Institution, any three of  whom shall  constitute  a
 quorum.  And all instruments, which the said Mana-
 gers  shall  lawfully make  and execute, shall, when
 signed by their Chairman, Treasurer or Secretary, and
 sealed with their common seal, bind  the said Corpora-
 tion and be valid in law.

   SECT.  5 And be  it  further  enacted,  That the
 Rev.  Samuel Parker be, and  hereby is authorized,  by
 public notice in  two  of the  Boston newspapers, to call
 the first meeting of said contributors at such time and
 place as he shall judge proper;  at which meeting the
 said Corporation shall  have all the  power vested  in
 them  at their  stated annual meetings iu October, but
 the officers then chosen shall not  continue in  office
 longer  than  the next meeting  in  October,  unless
 elected anew.

   In  the House of  Bepresentaiives,  Feb.  2%  1801,
 this Bill, having had  three several readings, passed to
 be enacted.
               EDWARD  H. ROB'UNS, Speak.

   In Senate, Feb. 26, 1801, this Bill, having had two
several readings, passed to be  enacted.
                    SAMUEL PHILLIPS, Pres.

   Feb. 26,  1801,  By the Governor approved.
                             CALEB STRONG.
   True Copy.   Attest, JOHN AYERY, Secretary.
             A  * 
 
INSTITUTION
                  OF THE

    BOSTON  DISPENSARY.


   IT having been found  by experience, both
 in Europe, and in several of the capital towns
 in America, that Dispensaries for the Medical
 Relief of the Poor are the most useful among
 benevolent Institutions, a number of Gentle-
 men propose to establish a public Dispensary
 in the town of Boston, for  the relief of the sick
 poor, which they presume will embrace the
 following advantages :
   First.  The sick,  without being pained by
 a separation from their families, may be  at-
 tended and relieved in their own houses.
   Secondly.  The sick can, in  this way, be
 assisted at a less expense to the public than in
 an hospital.
   Thirdly.  Those who have seen better days
 may be comforted without being humiliated :
 And all the poor receive the benefits of a char-
 ity the more refiued, as it is the more  secret.
  For the promotion of the design, the follow-
ing regulations are established by the  sub-
scribers to this charity,  as, 
8
   RULES OF THE BOSTON DISPENSARY.
   I. Each lady or gentleman, who pays an-
nually into the hands of the treasurer,/^ dol-
lars, shall be entitled to the privilege of having
two patients at one time under the care of the
Dispensary.  Those who  annually pay ten
dollars shall have four, and so  on, in the same
proprrtion: And those, who  subscribe fifty
dollars, shall be entitled, duriug life, to the
privilege of having four patients attended  at
one time by the physicians of the Dispensary.
   II. A Board, consisting of twelve Managers
and a Treasurer, shall  be  annually elected on
the second Thursday of October, by a majority
of the contributors present at such  meeting,
and votes may at all elections  be given either
in person orby proxy.  The Board shall meet
quarterly, unless oftener convened by the Sec-
retary.   Three  managers shall constitute a
quorum.   Their business  shall be to  provide
medicines for the sick, and to  regulate all af-
fairs relative to the Institution.
   III. Three attending and  two consulting
physicians and surgeons, and three apotheca-
ries of the Dispensary,shall be annually elect-
ed by the Managers of the Institution.
   IV. Every case shall be duly attended if
recommended by a contributor in a  written
note,  addressed  to the attending  physician,
agreeably to the first rule. The attending phy-
sicians and surgeons shall have a right to ap-
ply for advice and  assistance to the consulting 
9
 physicians and surgeons, when they think
 proper, in all difficult and extraordinary cases.
   V. As soon  as the funds  will admit  of
 purchasing or tenanting a suitable building for
 the purpose, the apothecary shall reside at the
 Dispensary.  His business shall be to com-
 pound and deliver medicines, to keep an exact
 account of the names, places of abode, diseas-
 es, times of admission, discharge,  &c. of the
 patients ; for which he shall receive such a
 compensation  as the Managers shall judge
 adequate to his services.

 Form of a receipt given to each contributor  by
               the Treasurer.

            Boston Dispensary.
   A. B.       is entitled to all the privileges
of a  contributor to the Boston  Dispensary,
having  paid     subscription  for        year
                               Treasurer.

Form of a recommendation of a Patient, to the
   care of the Dispensary, and rules to be ofi.
   served by the Patients.

  TO THE  PHYSICIAN OF THE BOSTON  DISPENSARY

  1 recommend
to the care of the Dispensary, believing
to be a proper object of this charity.
                             Contributor.
               day of               18 
10
     Rules to be observed by the Patients*
   1. THE physicians are  at the Dispensary
every  day, Sundays excepted, between  the
hours of twelve and two o'clock, at which time
any patient may apply there for advice.
   2. Those patients, who are not well enough
to come to the Dispensary, shall be visited
at their own houses.
   3.  No persons will be  deemed  objects of
this charity, but such as are really necessitous.
   4. All such patients who, in the judgement
of the physician, are well enough to go abroad,
and neglect to attend at the Dispensary,  for
their discharge, for ten days, shall be  dis-
charged, as disorderly,  from the  care  and
benefit of the Institution.
   5.  All the  vials must  be returned to  the
apothecary; any patients, who  neglect to re-
turn them, shall be deprived of the benefits of
the Dispensary.
   6.  Every  patient must deliver in their let-
ter of recommendation at the Dispensary, and,
when cured, take a regular discharge to  the
contributor who recommended  them, or they
must not expect to be again received.
   7» No patient to continue beyond 30 days,
on his first recommendatiou ; and he must ap-
ply for  a new  certificate if his case require it.
           Form of a Discharge.
        Boston Dispensary,           18
                   is hereby discharged from
the care of the Dispensary.
                            Physician to the
                              Dispensary.
 
11
  THE following rules for the direction of
the physician  and apothecary, of the Boston
Dispensary, have been adopted by the Mana-
gers.

Mules to be observed  by the Physician of the
            Boston Dispensary.

  First.  THE  physician  shall attend all
such patients regularly recommended,  as are
under confinement, a<id choose the physician
of the Dispensary, at least once  a day, and
shall also call at the Dispensary every day
(Sundays excepted) between the hours of IS
and S, P. M. if necessary, to see if any persons
are there waiting for medieal advice, and to be
informed what new patients are recommended
to the care of the Dispensary.
   Second. He shall keep a record of the names
of the patients under the care of the Dispen-
 sary  of whom he is the physician, of the disor-
 ders  under which they labour, their age and
 occupation, and with respect to those  whose
 disorders shall prove fatal, of the time of their
 death and the  number of his visits to  each,
 which record shall  be laid before the Mana-
 gers  semi-annually, or oftener, if demanded.
    Third. It shall be the duty of the physician,
 to suggest and lay before the  Managers for
 their consideration any new regulations or im-
 provements that may occur to him, which will
 have a probable tendency to promote the use-
 fulness of this  Institution, and make it more
 extensively beneficial. 
IS
 Mules to be observed by the  Apothecaries  of
           the hoston Dispensary.
   First.  The apothecaries shall deliver no
 medicines to any person on the account of the
 Dispensary, who is not recommended by a con-
 tributor, agreeably to the adopted printed form.
   Second. When any person  brings or sends
 a recommendation as aforesaid, the apothecary
 shall separate said recommendation from the
 rules to be observed by the patient;  the  for-
 mer he shall keep on file, and the latter shall
 be delivered or sent  to the patient.
   Third, Each apothecary shall keep  a  fair
 record, in a book to  be provided for that pur-
 pose, in separate columns, of the names of each
 patient, the contributor by whom said patient
 is recommended, the date of the recommenda-
 tion, the physician attending him or  her,  the
 time  when  discharged, and the  amount  of
medicines delivered for his or her use, which
book  shall be laid  before the Managers  at
 each of their meetings.
  Fourth. No patient shaft be furnished with
 any medicines from  the Dispensary, unless
from the advice  or prescription  of the physi-
cian of the Dispensary, or  some one of  the
regular physicians belonging to  the  town of
Boston.
  Fifth.  No  medicines shall be delivered to
any patient recommended by a contributor, if
 the said contributor  has, previous to said re-
commendation, his or her assigned number of
patients under the  care of the  Dispensary, 
13
agreeably  to  the constitution;  and for the
apothecary's information herein, he shall be
furnished by the treasurer with an attested list
of the subscribers, and of the sums respective-
ly paid by them.
  Sixth.   Each  apothecary shall  semi-an-
nually report to the Managers the state of his
accounts against  the Dispensary, and oftener
if thereto required.

At a meeting of the  Managers of the Boston
      Dispensary, December 11, 1807'.
  Voted, That the foregoing rules be adopted
for  the  government of the  physicians  and
apothecaries of said Dispensary, and that they
be furnished with fair copies of the same.

  Attest.   JOSEPH ECKLEY, Chairman.
fi 
14
 At the Annual Meeting,  October 9, 1817, the
  following Gentlemen were chosen Mana-
  gers, viz.

       His Honour William Phillips,
       Rev. Dr. Baldwin,
       Rev. C. Lowell,
       Mr. William Mack ay,
           Joseph Coolidge, jun.
           Isaac Winslow,
           Samuel H.  Walley,
           Joseph Tilden,
           Samuel Snelling,
           Edward Tuckerman, jun.
           Edward Phillips,
           Benjamin West.

    His Hon. William Phillips, Chairman.
    Benjamin West, Esq. Secretary.
    Gideon Snow, Esq, Treasurer.

          Consulting  Physicians.
           Dr. Aaron Dexter,
               William Spooner.

           Visiting Physicians.
Dr. Asa Bucknam,/or the Sou/hern Disteict,
   Samuel Clark, for the Middle District,
   Pliny Hayes, for the Northern District.

               Apothecaries.
Mr. William 13. White, for the Southern Dist.
Mr. Terence Wakefield, jfor the Middle Dist.
Mr. Robert JPwmcWy, for the Northern Dist. 
15
List of Subscribers to the Boston Dispensary.

  Mrs. Elizabeth Amory,
  Mr. Thomas Amory, 50 dollars.
       Jonathan Amory,
       Thomas C. Amory, donation $10 dead.
       John Amory,
       John Andrews, (first secretary, and for
                        many years. J
       E. T. Andrews,   dona. 10 dollars.
       Nathan Apoleton, dona. 20 dollars.
       Benjamin Andrews,  dona. 10 dollars.

  Hon. James Bowdoin.  #PBBtar.  Dead,
  Mr. Peter 0. Brooks, 50 dollars.
       Ebenezer L. Boyd,  50 dollars.
       John  Brown,  50 dollars.
       William Brown, jun. .0 dollars.
       John  V>. Brown,  50 dollars.
       Caleb Bingham, S5 dollars.  Dead.
       Kirk  Boot, dona. SO dollars.  Dead.
       Andrew Brimmer, dona. ,t0 dollass.
       JohnBartle.lt, 10 dollars.
       John Bellows, dona.  5  dollars.
       John  Breed,
       John Bumstead,
       Isaac Boyle,
       George Brindley,
       George Bond,
       Samuel Bradford,
       Josiah Bumstead,
       Benjamin  Bussey,
       John  Belknap, 
16
        Mr. Abraham Bazin,
            Jeremiah Belknap,
            Thomas Bartlett,
            Tristram Barnard,
        Rev. Thomas Baldwin, d. d.
        Mr. Samuel Bradlee,
            Thompson Baxter,
            Lemuel Blake,
        Mrs. Sarah Blake,
        Mr. John Baker,
            John Bradford,

/ ^   j  Mrs .Catharine Codman, 50 dollars.
Afiv,  Rig^iflHMPli John Cheverus,
        Rev. Sauiuei Cary,  Dead.
            William E. Channing,
        Mr. Samuel Coverly,  dona. 10 dollars.
            Nathaniel Call, donation  10 dollars.
            John Coates, donation  10 dollars.
            Uriah Cotting, dona. 10 dollars.
            Gardner L. Chandler,
            Joseph Coolidge,
            Joseph Coolidge, jun.
        Miss Margaret Coffin,
        Mr. Edward Cotton,
            Jonathan Chapman,
            Samuel Cobb,
            Cornelius Coolidge,
          t^'Aaron P. Cleaveland,
            David  W. Child,
            Richard Chamberlain,
            John G. Coffin,
            Henry Chapman, 
17
 Mr.  Joseph Callender,
      Samuel Cook,
      John Cotton,
      George Cabot,
      Joseph Chapman,
      Henry B. Curtis,

 Mrs. Mary Doubt, 50 dollars.
 Mr.  Isaac P.  Davis,  50 dollars.
     John Dorr, 50 dollars.
 Hon. John Davis,
      Thomas Dawes,
 Mr.  Richard C. Derby, dona.  5 dollars.
     Charles Davis,    flBMfettk
     Jonathan Davis,
      Richard Derby,
     Aaron Dexter,
     George Deblois,
     Thomas Dennie,
     Joshua Davis

Rev. Joseph Eckley, d. d.  Dead.
Mr.  Simon Elliot,
     Otis Everett,

Mrs. Ebon-Francis, 50 dollars.
Mr.  Nalbro Frazier,  50 dollars. t Dead.
     Benjamin Fessenden,
     Samuel Fales,
     Joseph Field,
     John  Fleet,
     Robert Fennelly,
    John B. Filch,
           b 2 
18
Mr. James H. Foster,
    Ebenezer Farley,

    Gardner Green, 50  dollars.
    John Grew, 50 dollars.
    William  R. Gray, $10, dona. SO dots.
    Samuel P. Gardner, d'ma. 10 dots.
    Gilbert and Dean, 10 dollars.
Miss Sarah Green,
    Mary Green,
Rev. John  S. J. Gardiner,
Mr. Samuel Gore,
    Richard Greene,
    J e flflHMlre
    Ozias  Goodwin,
    Robert II. Gardner,
    Oliver C. Greenleaf,
    Thatcher Goddard,
    Frederic W. Geyer, jun.
    William  Greenough,
    Henry Gassett,
    Moses Grant, jun.

    George Higgiuson, 50 dollars.  Dead,
    Henry Homes,  50 dollars.
Mrs. J. P. Hall,
Rev. Joshua Huntington,
Mr. Stephen Higgiuson,
    Joseph Head,
    Joseph Head, jun.
    Joseph Howe,
    John Hancock,
    Ralph Raskins, 
19
Mr. Jonathan Hunnewell,
    Henry Hill,
    Galen Holmes,
    George  Homer,
    John Hubbard,

Miss Susan Inches,

Mrs. Hannah Joy,  50 dollars.
Mr. Thomas K. Jones, 10 dollars.
    John C.  Jones,
Dr. James Jackson,
Mr. tidward Jones,
    William Jackson,....•*«*. -

    Oliver Keating, 50  dollars.
    Josiah Knap,
    Jonathan Kilham,

Mrs. Rebecca Lowell, 50 dollars.  Dead,
Rev. Charles Lowell, 50 dollars.
Miss Catharine Smith Langdon, 50 dollars.
Mr. Joseph Lee, jun. 50 dollars.
    Joshua B. Langdon, 10 dols.  Dead.
    John Lowell,
    James Lloyd, jun.
    Ensign  Lincoln,
    Joseph Lovering,
    Josiah Loring,
    Williain Lawrence,
Mrs  John M'Lane, 50 dollars.
Mr. Samuel May, 50 dollars. 
so
Rev. Francis Matignon, 10 dollars.
     Joseph M •  Kean,
Mr. Jonathan Mason,
    Elijah Mears,
    Thomas Melville,
    William Mackay,
Deacon Thomas  Mc  Clure,
Mr. Edward Munroe,
    Israel Munson,

    E. 11. Newton,

Mrs. Samuel A.  Otis,
Mr. John Odin,
    Francis J. Oliver,
    John Osborn,

His Honour Wm. Phillips,850,dona. jg100.
Mr. James Perkins,  50 dollars.
    Samuel G. Perkins,  50 do lars.
    Samuel Parkinan, 50 dollars.
    William Payne, 50  dolb^'s.
Rev. Francis Park man, 50 dollars.
Mr. Samuel J. Prescott,  50 dollars.
    John Peck,  50  dollars.
    Eben. Preble, dona. SO dollars. Dead.
    John Prince, jun. dona.'20 dollars.
    Edward Phillips, dona.  10 dollars.
    Thomas H. Perkins, i0 dollars.
Mrs. Catherine Prescott,
Mr. John Parker,
    William Pratt,
    Jonathan Phillips, 
SI
Dr. Phelps,
Mr. John Perry,
    John Parker, jun.
    William Parsons,
    Nehemiah Parsons,

    Abraham Quincy,

    Daniel D. Rogers, 10 dollars.
    Nathaniel P. Russell,
    Samuel Rogers,
Dr. Isaac Rand, senior,
Mr. Henry G. Rice,
    Paul Revere,
    Joseph Richards,
    Andrew Ritchie,
    John T. Reed,
    William I {opes,

Mrs. Esther Spraguc,  1500 dols. a legacy.
     Hannah Smith, 50 dollars.  Dead.
Mr. Samuel Smith, dona  30 dols.  Dead-
    Samuel Salisbury, 50 dollars.
    Samuel Spear, 50 dollars.
Mrs. Elizabeth Sumner, dona. £30. Dead.
Mr. Samuel Swett, dona.  10 dollars.
    Josiah Salisbury,  10 dollars.
Mrs. Sprague, 10 dollars.
Mr. William Smith, first,  and for  many
           years  treasurer.  Dead.
    Ebenezer Seaver,
    Samuel Snelling,
    Gideon Snow, 
22
Mr.  Daniel Sargent,
     Samuel Salisbury, jun.
     Joseph Sewall,
     George  Storer,
     Prince Snow,
     Standfast Smith,
     Caleb Stimpson,
     Henry Sigourney,
     Ignatius Sargent,
     Andrew Sigourney,
     Robert. G. Shaw,
     Isaac Stevens,
     James Savage,
     John L. Sullivan,
     Richard Sullivan,
     William Sturgis,

    Richard D. Tucker, 50 dollars.
     David Tilden,  dona. 10 dots.  Dead.
     John E,. Tvler,  donation 10 dols.
Mrs. Turell,
Mr. Edward Tuckerman, jun.
     John Tappan,
     Abraham Touro,
     Joseph Tilden,
     Bryant P. Tilden,
     Silas Tarbell,
     Gustavus Tuckermau,
     Peter O. Thatcher,
     Israel Thorndike, juu.
     Lewis Tappan,
     Beza Tucker, 
                    S3

  Mr. Bill Vose,

       Samuel H. Walley, 50  dollars.
       Charles Walley, 50 dollais.
       Thomas Walley,
       Benjamin West,
       Jonn D. Williams,
       William Walker,
       Thomas Williams,
       Thomas Wigglesworth,
       John Wells,
       Isaac Wiuslow,
  Gen. John VV inslow,
  Mr. William B. White,
       David West,
       Henry  Wainwright,
       James White,
       Thomas B. Wales,
       Edmund Winchester,
       Benjamin Wiuslow,
       Benjamin Weld,
       Redford Webster,
       Charles White,
       Terence Wakefield.

  N. B.  Those  without any  sums  affixed  to their
uames, are subscribers of-five dollars per annum.- 
S4
  THE  Managers  of the Dispensary take
this opportunity to express their thanks to the
Contributors-to  this  Charity.   At the same
time they feel solicitous to bring this excellent
Institution more fully before the public, and
if possible excite  a  more  general interest in
its favour.
  Among the numerous  charities  for  which
the citizens of Boston are distinguished, per-
haps  there is  none  more  active, and which
exerts a more coustant and salutary influence
in  alleviating the distresses  of the  poor of
every description.   IS or is there  in  this, as
in some others, danger  of imposition.  No
oue, it  is  presumed, will ask for medicine
unless he is sick.
  If Gentlemen of the Faculty are willing to
bestow their services gratis, the  Managers
have  full confidence  that  a generous  public
will cheerfully furnish them  with the means
of supplying the poor with medicine.
  It must be a  pleasure to a sympathizing be-
nevolent heart to do  good in  any way, but to
send relief to the sick, and comfort and health
into the abodes of wretchedness and poverty,
must be a luxury of  no ordinary kind.  Be-
sides this high gratification, may we not hope,
that in some instances at least, it will be said
by our final Judge, " 1 was sick and ye visit-
ed me.  Verily 1 say unto you, inasmuch as
ye have done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
                  B. WEST, Secretary. 
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