LYING-IN HOSPITAL,

For poor Married Women.

This compassionate institution was first opened in Rosemary-lane, October 1, 1760. The hospital is situated in a retired spot, healthy and airy, and very suitable for the purpose. The accommodations, attention, and delicacy towards the patients, are, like the other humane institutions of Newcastle, laudable and exemplary.

This is over the front door:--Licensed for the public reception of pregnant women, pursuant to an act of parliament passed in the 13th year of the reign of George the third.

On the inner side of the main door there is an inscription over a charity-box, truly apposite:

"BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR HER IN THE INN."

The following is the establishment.

The rules in general are fimilar to those of the other charitable institutions, but upon a smaller fcale. Women are to be recommended by subscribers, and must produce certificates of their marriage. If fuddenly taken ill, the matron must attend them at their own habitations, or there is a chair provided by the charity to convey them to the hofpital.

The physician and furgeon, both skilled in midwifery, are to deliver the women in all difficult cases, instruct the midwives, and act in their respective capacities.

The matron must be a midwife, and deliver in ordinary cases.

The number admitted fince the first opening to the present time amounts to upwards of 2,000.

In the year 1761, a fimilar charity was instituted for poor lying-in women at their own houses in Newcastle and Gateshead. They enjoy the aid of the midwife in ordinary cases; and in cases difficult and dangerous, two surgeons attend. They have every necessary support during the month, with some pecuniary gratuity to aid the family while the mother is thus incapacitated.

It pains humanity to be informed, that, owing to the death of several of the principal subscribers, &c. and the late heavy pressures, the funds are in a languishing state. Ye bounteous and liberal-minded fair ones, remember "your fisters of low degree!" and relieve the wants of their poor, helpless, young families, when in a flate, which, however painful, it is the wish and pride of every female to be. "Give me children, or I die!" said one of your sex in ancient times. She obtained her wish, and died in consequence!

The greatest of the patriarchs entertained angels unawares. You, by kind relief, may be the means of bringing a future NEWTON or a Locke into the world, to be the ornaments of their admiring country.

FRIEND.

FRIENDLESS POOR SOCIETY.

A benevolent institution was formed in this town in the year 1797, the object of which is to afford relief to the friendless poor, and to diffeminate the principles of virtue and religion among the lower orders of the people. It is chiefly patronized by the diffenting ministers; but we are forry to say, that its funds are not in so flourishing a state, as such a truly laudable fociety merits. Their place of meeting is at the Baptift chapel, Tuthil-stairs.

LUNATIC ASYLUMS.

From the hofpitals of those labouring under the afflictions of the body, we come to the description of those appropriated to such as are overwhelmed with the infinitely worse disorder of the mind. Babylon, Persepolis, Palmyra, in ruins; their palaces, temples, stately columns, overthrown in dust, are not, to the sympathifing eye, a fight so afflicting, as the ruins of the buman intellect !†

October 7, 1765, it having been represented to the corporation of Newcastle upon Tyne, that a piece of ground

† Dr. Charteris, in his admirable fermon on ALMS, obferves, that Dean Swift, feeling in himself symptoms of approaching lunacy, laid out twelve thousand pounds, which he had faved, on endowing an hofpital for fuch as should be afflicted with this frightful calamity. The celebrated Dr. Young tells us, in his Conjectures on Original Compofition, that Addison, Pope, and himfelf, being in Ireland, on a vifit to the dean, and taking a walk out with him to a field, they observed him fall behind them for an unusual time, and " I going back," says Dr. Young, "found him like a statue with his eyes fixed upon a tree blasted at the top."

ground was wanted for the fite of an hospital, intended to be erected in or near to that town, for lunatics belonging to the counties of Northumberland, Durham, and Newcastle, the Warden's Close, a field without the walls of the town, between Newgate and Westgate, having been judged the most proper fituation for it, a committee of the common-council was appointed to portion off a part thereof for that purpose; upon whose report that they had measured and staked out a plot of ground for the fite of the intended hospital, the corporation ordered a leafe to be granted in trust from the Christmas-day following, for the term of ninety-nine years, under an annual rent of two shillings and fixpence: as also leave for a passage into Gallowgate for the convenience of the faid hofpital.---Common-council books,

This building is in a retired fituation, airy and healthful. The conveniences are numerous; the treatment of the unhappy patients humane, and fuitable to their fituations; from whence many have returned perfectly recovered. It is under the direction of Robert Wood, M. D.

Another, named Belgrove, (formerly St. Luke's) upon a smaller scale, is erected on the Leazes, and is under the management of J. Steavenson, M. D.

A third

top." " I shall be like that tree," said he, with great emotion; " I shall die at top!" And foon after, he was removed, for incurable lunacy, to that very hospital, which he had humanely founded for others!-where, painful to relate! he was shewn to the gazing spectators for fixpence a-piece! The monster of a keeper, pointing at him, who was perhaps the most brilliant wit, and, in serious subjects, the most correct writer of his age, now staring at the beholders with a hideous afpect; "That maniac," faid he, "is Dean Swift!"

A third hofpital of the fame kind is built on the edge of Gateshead common, at Benfham, and is directed by Robert Wood, M. D.

At all these hofpitals the patients are treated with fkill and humanity.

Without meaning the least offence to the gentlemen who conduct the houses of this description here, of whom we have a very high opinion, we cannot help observing, in this place, that the plan adopted by Dr. Hunter, of York, in the treatment of maniacs, which has been so eminently successful, is well worthy attention, and, we will venture to add, imitation, as it appears to be founded on an intimate acquaintance with the nature of the human mind. His method, we believe, differs effentially from that of most others. Relinquithing all coercive measures, and carefully removing from the unhappy patient all appearance of constraint, he assists their return to reafon by a mild and gentle treatment. So numerous are the stages, and fo highly diverfified the appearances of this melancholy diforder, that to attempt a definition or defcription of it would include a vast portion of the human race,-few, very few of whom have the benefit of medical aid; but, were this mode of treatment generally adopted by those connected with them, might we not expect that their number would be greatly reduced? that the last sad stage, when the patient is become totally unfit for commerce with his fpecies, might be frequently averted; and medical afsistance, in a great measure, rendered unneceffary?

THE BATHS.

Man is not an aquatic animal: and yet, to have

acconipanied captain Cook, in his voyages in the fouthern

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