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| Henry Lilley Smith MRCS | |
|---|---|
Henry Lilley Smith. Credit: Wellcome Library | |
| Born | 1787 or 1788 Southam, Warwickshire, England |
| Died | 1859 Southam |
| Occupation | Surgeon |
Henry Lilley Smith was born in Southam, Warwickshire, England in 1787 or 1788. He became assistant surgeon to the 45th Regiment and obtained a diploma of MRCS in 1810 and then practised at Southam, where he was appointed parish surgeon.[ full citation needed ] [1] In April 1818 he opened a small hospital for the treatment of diseases of the eye and ear. It was built on land adjoining his house and contained about fourteen beds and was supported by voluntary subscriptions and donations. Smith periodically visited Warwick, Rugby, Banbury, and Northampton to select suitable cases. About 100 in-patients and 250 out-patients were treated annually. In-patients received free professional attendance, medicine and lodging, but had to pay for their food, the charge for which was 10d (old pence) a day for a man, 8d for a woman and 6d for a child. During the first forty years of the 'Eye and Ear Infirmary' 12,220 patients were treated and two-thirds were discharged cured. [1]
Southam is a small market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. Southam is on the River Stowe, which flows from Napton-on-the-Hill and joins Warwickshire's River Itchen at Stoneythorpe, just outside the town. The town is about 7 1⁄2 miles (12 km) east of Leamington Spa, about 10 miles (16 km) from Rugby and Daventry, 13 miles (21 km) south of Coventry and 14 miles (23 km) north of Banbury.
In modern medicine, a surgeon is a physician who performs surgical operations. There are also surgeons in podiatry, dentistry maxillofacial surgeon and the veterinary fields.
A Royal College of Surgeons or Royal Surgical College is a type of organisation found in many present and former members of the Commonwealth of Nations. These organisations are responsible for training surgeons and setting their examinations. In this context, the term chartered implies the awarding of a Royal charter.
In 1823, fired by his ambition to improve medical care for the poor, he established a self-supporting dispensary in Southam under the presidency of Sir Grey Skipwith, MP for South Warwickshire, and his committee. The premises consisted of a two-storied thatched cottage, sited close to the Infirmary. Membership was for Southam residents who could not afford to pay doctor's fees. Patients had to be recommended by employers, clergymen of their parish or by two respectable inhabitants. The annual subscription was 3 shillings and 6d for adults and 2s for children. The dispensary was self-supporting but during the cholera epidemic of 1832 each family had to pay an additional 6d a week. [1]
A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital, industrial plant, or other organization that dispenses medications, medical supplies, and in some cases even medical and dental treatment. In a traditional dispensary set-up, a pharmacist dispenses medication as per prescription or order form. The English term originated from the medieval Latin noun dispensaria and is cognate with the Latin verb dispensare, "to distribute".
Sir Grey Skipwith, 8th Baronet was an English Whig politician from Warwickshire.
The Southam Dispensary was the first of its kind and its success resulted in the establishment of others in Atherstone, Chilvers Coton, Burton-on-Trent, Rugby, Coventry and Northampton. Smith was one of the original members of The British Medical Association and was an adviser to those wishing to follow his example.
Atherstone is a town and civil parish in the English county of Warwickshire. Located in the far north of the county, Atherstone forms part of the border with Leicestershire along the A5 national route, and is only 4 miles from Staffordshire. It lies between the larger towns of Tamworth and Nuneaton and contains the administrative offices of North Warwickshire Borough Council.
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. The town has a population of 70,628 (2011 census) making it the second largest town in the county. The town is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby which has a population of 100,500.
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England.
He also initiated a 'Maypole Holiday' in 1825 which is still held as the 'May Fair' in Southam today (2012) and provided allotments for local boys aged between 8 and 14. Each boy was required to grow some flowers, herbs and at least 6 kinds of vegetable. A small rent was charged and a small library for them was provided.
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, or a “community garden”, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-commercial gardening or growing food plants. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundred land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families. Such parcels are cultivated individually, contrary to other community garden types where the entire area is tended collectively by a group of people. In countries that do not use the term “allotment (garden)”, a “community garden” may refer to individual small garden plots as well as to a single, large piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people. The term “victory garden” is also still sometimes used, especially when a community garden dates back to the First or Second World War.
Smith died in 1859 in Southam, where, on Leamington Road, there is a memorial to his life and work close to the site of his dispensary, which was demolished in 1868. The memorial, erected in 1889, [2] is to be found next to his hospital building which is now enlarged and used as a wedding venue called Warwick House.
