The County Infirmary

By Samuel J. Maguire

The Building at Prospect Hill

The County Infirmary, now the site of the County Buildings, was opened in June 1802. In accordance with the Act of 1765,

"For erecting and establishing Public Infirmaries and Hospitals in this Kingdom"

a meeting of the Corporation of Galway was held on 17th April, 1766, when it was ordered in council,

"that a committee consisting of the principal gentlemen of the town, be, and are accordingly appointed to inquire and find out a proper place within the county of the town of Galway for erecting a public infirmary or hospital for the reception of the poor, sick and disabled persons."

This Committee having selected the site on Prospect Hill, the Governors of the Erasmus Smith School granted two acres of ground gratis for ever, on which it was erected. Previous to the erection of the County Infirmary a small building at Woodquay was from about 1688 used as an infirmary. Having been in use for some years it was removed to a house in Abbeygate Street where it continued in use until 1802. Hardiman quotes:

"The following extract from the reports of the celebrated Howard, who visited this institution in the year 1788 will give the reader an idea of this superior accommodation: 'The County Infirmary at Galway', says that indefatigable promoter of universal benevolence, 'is an old house with two rooms on a floor. Those on the second floor are for patients, in one of which there were three men, and in the other old bedsteads, without bedding, all very dirty; allowance to each three pints of new milk and two pennyworth of bread. A very large house, not finished, is said to be intended for an infirmary.'"

Robert Ffrench of Monivea Castle was the Treasurer, and Dr. James Veitch was the Superintendent of the new infirmary. Dr. Veitch was a native of Scotland and was the first Catholic appointed to such a position in Ireland.

Rules and Regulations

The rules and regulations, "to be strictly adhered to", make interesting reading:

1. No person can be admitted as (an intern) patient of the hospital, who does not produce a letter of recommendation from a governor or governess of the infirmary.
2. The hours of general attendance at the hospital are from 11 to 12 o'clock every day. All out-patients to attend at those hours. No out-patient to proceed farther than the hall of the hospital, without orders from the surgeon.
3. The days of admission (only) on Mondays and Thursday s, except in cases of accident.
4. The patient, upon his or her appearance in the hall of the hospital, at the hours and days above mentioned, and producing of recommendation, will be immediately inserted upon the books of the hospital.
5. Each patient, after being inserted on the books, to be taken to the bathroom to be well washed and cleaned by the person appointed for that purpose, and the barber directed to attend; afterwards to be taken to the vesting room, and dressed in the hospital clothing, and directed to the ward and bed appointed by the surgeon; and on his or her dismissal their own clothing to be given them, and the hospital clothing delivered up to the proper person appointed, to be well washed and fumigated, and put upon the proper number in the vesting room.
6. The nurses to count over the bed clothes and clothing, etc., to the patient; and are to be responsible that he or she leaves every thing in the same state, allowing for necessary tear and wear; and no patient (except allowed by the surgeon) to visit the other wards; if found in any but their own, to be immediately dismissed the hospital.
7. No patient to be allowed to spit or dirty the walls or floor of the house, as spitting boxes and bed pots are provided for the purpose; and no smoking of pipes allowed on any account in the wards.
8. Immediately on the bell ringing, every patient that is able (or who is ordered by the surgeon) are to attend in the dressing room.
9. Any patient who acts impertinent to the housekeeper or nurses, to be immediately dismissed, and to be reported to the governor or governess who recommended him or her.
10. All medicine to be given by the surgeon or nurses; and they are immediately to report, should they refuse either medicine or diet as directed.
11. The wards of the hospital to be washed and fumigated twice a week, and oftener if necessary.
12. The housekeeper to visit the wards twice a day, and to report any deviation from the above rules, as she is responsible for the cleanliness of the whole hospital; and no filth or excrement of any kind to remain one minute in the patients ward.
13. The nurses or housekeepers are to see the patients take their meals, according to the dietary annexed; and the patients to report any neglect or deficiency in their diet; first to the nurses, then to the housekeeper, and if immediate redress is not granted, to the surgeon.
14. The rules and regulations to be read to each patient on admission to the house; and their name, age, and disease, posted up on the head of their bed.

Dietary of the Patients

Full Diet

Breakfast - One quart of good stirabout, with one pint of new milk, or one quart of sour ditto; - the same at night.
Dinner - One pound of good household loaf bread, and one quart of new milk, four days in the week;- and half a pound of boiled meat, one quarter stone of potatoes, with as much broth and vegetables as they can eat, the other three days.

Convalescent Diet

Breakfast - One quart of flummery or stirabout, and one pint of new milk.
Dinner - One pint of broth, with half a pound of boiled meat; or one pint of milk, and a pound of loaf bread.

Low Diet

Breakfast - One quart of flummery, or gruel, with half a pint of new milk.
Dinner - One pint of milk or two of gruel, with half a pound of loaf bread, with as much milk as ordered.
Drink - (When ordered by the surgeon) to consist of milk-whey, barley-water, water-gruel, cream of tartar-whey, (in proportion) as directed.
J. Veitch, M.D.,
Surgeon,
County Galway Hospital

John Howard

Note - John Howard, who reported on the old Galway infirmary, was a noted philanthropist. Born in Hackney, Middlesex, he was left in easy circumstances on the death of his father. After undergoing great sufferings as a French prisoner of war, and the observation he made while engaged as Sheriff of Bedfordshire, induced him to attempt some reform of the abuses and misery of prison life. He made a tour of the county jails of England, and the mass of information which he laid before the House of Commons in 1774 brought about the first prison reforms. From year to year he continued to visit every prison in Great Britain, Ireland and the Continent. During the hears 1785 to 1787 he made a tour of inspection through the principal hospitals and infirmaries of Europe, visited plague-smitten cities, and voluntarily underwent rigours of the quarantine system. In his anxiety for the helpless sufferers of the human race he found the lonely and neglected Irish Charter Schools and prepared the way for a belated reform of their worst abuses. Some extracts from his reports on these schools may be read in the Galway Reader, Vol. I, No. 3. Howard died in 1790 at Kherson in the Ukraine while on a journey to the east. He published at various times accounts of his journeys.

"His deep piety, cool sense, and single-hearted devotedness to his one great object won him universal respect throughout Europe."