THE SOCIAL OUTLOOK IN SCOTLAND.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9683, 6 January 1910, Page 4

THE SOCIAL OUTLOOK IN SCOTLAND.

Some disturbing feature 3 in thn social life of Scotland are revealed by the report of the Commissioners on tha Poor Law. Thus 28 per cent, of the population of Edinburgh is said to be on the charity roll, and the Commissioners comment on the lack of Scottish thrift. Tha Commissioners say there are a considerable number of charitable agencies in che large towns which supply poor persons with medical treatment other than in an institution-in many cases the treatment being given at the patient's home. As showing the amount of gratuitous treatment providedjby medical charities, the Commissioners give the following particulars:—ln Glasgow,. 153,354 outdoor patients were treated during the "last completed year." As regards Edinburgh about 88,500 patients attend the out-patient departj ment of the hospitals and the I dispensaries in the course of a year. Taking the population for 1901 it will be found that 28 per cent, or between one in three and one in four of the population receive free or virtually free (some of the dispensaries make a charge of a penny or more for medicine) medical treatment in a year. It is, we think, regrettable, continue the Commissioners, that so many persons in the large centres of population in Scotland appear to be willing to accept charitable medi cal relief instead o± adopting some form of providence or thrift in order to provide themselves with medical attendance.