Morpathia: A popular doctor at Morpeth Dispensary

There were 22 applications, so a sub-committee of doctors was appointed to select four, and at a special meeting of the Medical Committee, attended by Drs Clarkson, Skrimshire, Douglas and M. Brumell, and the Hon. Secretary, four names were selected, with a recommendation in favour of Dr Liddell.

I don’t know what happened to Dr Liddell, but he was not elected. On August 6, the Secretary was instructed to wire one of the other candidates chosen by the Medical Committee – practical electric telegraphy had existed for about 30 years by then, and the service was nationalised in 1870 – to ask if he could attend on the 17th.

A special meeting of the Governors was held on that day to elect the House Surgeon, with the Mayor, George Young Esq., in the Chair, when Gustavus George Gidley was unanimously elected.

The meeting recommended that the Committee should receive a list of the drugs requested by the house surgeon at every meeting, countersigned by one of the Medical Committee, before they were ordered. It looks rather as if they were thinking of Dr Dutt’s perceived extravagance, rather than anything his successor might be expected to do.

At the monthly committee meeting on September 3, however,

“The House Surgeon stated that as a rule those drugs that ran short during the month were those most required in daily use; and therefore wanting replacement at once, could not be left until the end of the month. The suggestion was left to be considered at a future meeting.”

The new doctor proceeded to make a number of suggestions:

 The scales were dilapidated; needed cleaning and repairing, and fresh weights should be got to replace those lost.

 The label box could usefully be re-fitted with partitions.

 The contents of some of the existing bottles had been spoilt by the want of adequate stoppers and durable labels; and needed to be replaced with new.

 His sitting room needed repapering and painting.

These were all carried nem con. He also said that several of the surgical instruments wanted repairing at once and that a water tap and trough were needed in the surgery. These, or perhaps only the water tap and trough, were left for a future meeting.

The Chairman suggested that a list of the bottles needing to be replaced be sent to all the druggists in the town for them to pencil in an estimate of the cost, the lowest to be accepted. Also that the bottles not required be divided into three lots and returned to the chemists for an allowance, which was agreed.

In October, there were collections on behalf of the Dispensary at St James’s on the occasion of their harvest thanksgiving and Hospital Sunday at St George’s and the Congregational church. St George’s raised £17 16s 10½d, of which ten guineas went to the Newcastle Hospital Fund, £4 10s to Morpeth Dispensary, and the balance retained for church expenses. The Congregationalists raised £3 12s 6d.

There were similar collections at Longhirst, Mitford and Meldon, but it is not clear if they or the Congregationalists donated any of the proceeds to the Dispensary.

In November, under the heading “Medical Mayors”, The Lancet noted that W. Clarkson, a former house surgeon, had become mayor of Morpeth.

By this time, Dr Gidley was proving to be at least as convivially inclined as Dr Dutt, or indeed any of the previous house surgeons. On the 21st he sang a piece called “Jolly Smiths” at a Morpeth Church of England Temperance Society entertainment in St James’s Hall, Wellway, and in December he was amongst those present at the prize-giving at Morpeth Grammar School.

On January 2, 1889, the inmates of the Almshouses in Cottingwood Lane were entertained to tea at the Grammar School by the headmaster and Mrs Davidson, when Drs Dickie and Gidley were amongst the ladies and gentlemen who assisted.

On January 25, 1889, he presented the medical report for 1888 to the annual meeting. It was, of course, largely on Dr Dutt’s watch and showed that 542 patients had been admitted (231 male, 311 female) of whom 24 died, including three over 80, and that there had been 44 cases of zymotic diseases, chiefly due to an epidemic of German Measles in the spring, none of whom had died.

After the usual business had been transacted, the Treasurer drew attention to the increase in the coal and gas bill and someone suggested buying cheaper coal. The Hon. Secretary, however, said that the grate in the house surgeon’s room was of an old-fashioned pattern (the house dated from 1797) and that cheaper coal did not burn well in it, something the house surgeon had complained of.

Mr J.E. Orde thought a new grate ought to be put in and Mr Richardson proposed that Mr Middlemiss be asked to examine the existing grate, which was carried.

Seven subscribers – including Colonel Atkinson and Major Brumell, both of whom were vice-presidents – had died. The names of Messrs Joicey of Longhirst, F. Brumell, J.B. Cookson and E.M. Bainbridge, founder of the well-known department store, were suggested to fill up the two vice-presidencies.

Actually, the fourth name was J. Anderson of Cottingwood – presumably the owner of the brickworks – but this is crossed out in pencil and that of Mr Bainbridge inserted, also in pencil. All four gentlemen were elected, subject to their consent.

Vice-presidents didn’t have to do anything (though the late George Brumell was an exception and had been very active in Dispensary affairs) but were important, first to show how respectable the Dispensary was, so that people would want to support it, and secondly because they would be good for a generous subscription.

Dr Gidley’s social life became a positive whirlwind. In February, he accompanied the vocalists on the piano at the Temperance Society entertainment at St James’s Hall “in excellent manner”; this was when Mrs Skrimshire, the wife of another former house surgeon, sang “Fiddle and I”, accompanied by piano and violin.

Later the same month, there was a smoking concert at the Morpeth Constitutional Club when he sang “Midshipmite”.

In March, again at the Temperance Society entertainment, “Dr Gidley, of Morpeth Dispensary, sang the humorous song of ‘His funeral’s to-morrow’ and received an encore.”

This was followed shortly by a concert at Morpeth Constitutional Club when he accompanied not only the vocalists at the piano, but a step-dancer as well. This seems to have been an all-male affair. Perhaps ladies didn’t yet do politics.

Then at the Morpeth Rifle Volunteer Corps concert, he was again the accompanist and sang “His funeral’s tomorrow”, which was evidently a favourite, and early in April he was one of the guests at the Volunteer Supper at the New Phoenix Hotel, Morpeth.

Books by Roger Hawkins are on sale at Newgate News, the Old Herald Office, Bridge Street, and at the Dragon on the Clock Tower Bookshop, Manchester Street.