Condition of the poorer classes in Ireland: first report: appendix A and supplement

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into the STATE OF THE POORER CLASSES IN IRELAND. 
323 Appendix (A.) 

« Tl re are at least two or three cases in each week which would require assistance." 
Rev. 
AT ^Murray says, 

" It is usual for the people of a house, where we attend a case of sickness, * o-'^e a small contribution, and this is done whenever they can at all afford it. 
It will L^ -= 

in idea of the distress which exists, when I say that, although I attended only a portion &f the sick in the parish, I met with a case, at least once a fortnight, in which, instead of beino-able to give any thing, they expect some assistance from me." 

_ 

There is no charitable loan fund in the parish, nor any benefit or friendly society. 
The uoor o-et medicine without cost from the dispensary; but it often happens that sickness is prolono-ed° and they are kept in a situation in which they are unable to do anything for themselves for want of necessary food and clothing. 
Dr. 
Furlong says, 

" In hundreds of instances they want food more than medicine." 
He also says, 

" I have been frequently prevented from living active medicines by their not having a sufficiency of food; I have also been prevented from giving medicine, laudanum particularly, by knowing how badly they were protected against the cold." 
Dr. 
McCarthy has been frequently influenced in the same way. 
If a fund^was instituted for the purpose of providing the necessary food and comforts for the sick poor it mio-ht be safely and beneficially distributed under the superintendence of a local committee. 
Even medicine is not conveniently supplied to several parts of the district; there is but one dispensary for a space of twenty-five miles in length and sixteen in breadth, com¬ prising seven parishes. 
Very few shopkeepers subscribe to the dispensary, and many of the gentry hold back ; the possessors of at least two-thirds of the landed property give nothing. 

Perso7is who attended the Examination. 
Timothy Callinan, farmer of 20 acres.—Mr. 
Jeremiah Collins—Thomas Fitzgerald, la¬ bourer.—Dr. 
Fitzgibbon, dispensary surgeon.—Michael 
Galway, esq.—James 
Hayes, farmer of 65 acres.—Thomas 
Hungerford, esq., 
j. 
r., 
Cahirmore.—Thomas 
HuNGERroiiD, esq.— 
Nicholas Lombard, beggar.—Daniel 
Mahony, farmer of 45 acres.—Mr. 
John Mahony, shopkeeper.—Mr. 
Kane Maiiony.—John 
Eugene Macarthy, esq., 
under agent to Lord Car¬ bery.—Rev. 
Jeremiah Maloney,p. 
p.—John 
Menahan, labourer.—Richard 
Smith, esq. 
j.p. 
—Mr. 
John Wolte, farmer.—Rev. 
Joshua Wood, protestant curate.—And 
several others. 
There does not exist a regular provision of a nature adequate to the relief of the poor when afflicted with sickness. 
The aid afforded by the dispensary is limited to the giving of advice and medicine ; for that additional nourishment and clothing, which illness renders necessary, and which should be deemed indispensable, the labouring class are entirely de¬ pendent on the charity of individuals. 
In cases of very great and unusual destitution, a subscription is sometimes collected; but cases of distress are of daily occurrence, in which there are no means of obtaining the ordinary necessaries of life for the patient: Dr. 
Fitz¬ gibbon is of opinion, that the instances are not few in which wholesome nourishment is much more wanting, and would be productive of far more benefit than medicine. 
He is disposed to attribute much of the disease which is at all times prevalent to the use of bad food, and to the miserable state of the poor as to proper bedding and bed clothes. 
He has often found sick persons lying only with a little bad straw between them and the damp earthen floor of their cabin, endeavouring to supply the total deficiency of bed clothes by covering themselves with their ordinary clothes. 
When sickness has continued for any length of time in a poor family, adds Dr. 
Fitzgibbon, their resources become gradually exhausted, and in the end the most industrious are reduced to a condition of misery out of which they are unable to raise themselves for a long time. 
The fines inflicted by the magistrates of the Ross Carbery petty sessions, are not applied to the relief of the destitute within the district. 
They are sent to the account of the County Infirmary at Mallow; the distance, however, to that town is so great, that the inhabitants of this parish very rarely participate in the benefits of its hospital. 
Dr. 
Fitzgibbon states, " that at one time a portion of these fines were handed over to him, to be applied, at his dis¬ cretion, in relieving the most distressed persons suffering under disease, and the results of this aid were most beneficial." 
Dr. 
Fitzgibbon coincides in opinion with the magistrates, that it would be desirable that the fines alluded to were made legally applicable to these purposes. 

Persons who attended the Examination. 
Rev. 
James Barry, parisb priest.—Rev. 
John Barry, catholic curate—John Brooks, fanner, pays 1/. 
105. 
per annum rent.—Bartholomew 
Brown, labourer.—Bartholomew 
Donovan, farmer, pays 301, per annum rent.—Mr. 
Alexander English, churchwarden last year.— 
James Levis, farmer, pays 33/. 
per annum rent—Cornelius Maiioney, labourer.—Patrick 
Mahony, farmer, pays 10/. 
per annum rent.—James 
Mahony, quarryman and labourer.—John 
Murphy, quarryman and labourer.—Richard 
Salter, farmer, pays 14^ per annum rent.— 
William Shannon, farmer, pays 36/. 
per annum rent—Mr. 
James Swanton, merchant— James Swanton, esq..—Thomas 
Swanton, esq. 
Sweetman, esq., 
dispensary surgeon— Daniel Sullivan, quarryman and labourer.—John 
Sullivan, quarryman and labourer.— 
Rev. 
John Triphook, protestant curate.—Timothy 
Tuomy, labourer* There is no fund or institution for giving,assistance to the sick poor, except the dispen¬ sary, where they can get advice and medicine without charge. 
There is no subscription for 

/ti rp o X0.6 

Sick Poor. 
Minister, County Cork. 
Examinations taken by Thomas Martin, Esq. 
John Lalor, Esq. 
Parish Macroom. 
Bar. 
West Muskerry. 

Parish Ross Car¬ 

bery. 
Bar. 
East Carbery (West Division.) 

Parish Skull. 
Bar. 
West Carber (West Division.)