7 fie Foundling Hospital. 1 29 



charity, which I regret it was not in my power 

 to examine. If little or no positive good has 

 ii rn, much national injury, in a moral point 

 of light, may have been sustained. Children 

 are brought from all quarters of the country to 

 the hospital, and no inquiries are made. There 

 is a box on the outside of a window to receive 

 them, and a bell above it ; this is rung, and a 

 person in attendance receives the infant. A 

 register is kept for the purpose of answering 

 subsequent inquiries, in which the time of re- 

 ceiving the child, and any permanent marks it 

 may happen to have about it, are entered j and 

 there are always a number of wet nurses in 

 attendance. The practice of those who wish 

 to send a child from the country, is to apply to 

 the clergyman, with whom a certain sum is 

 deposited by the person who undertakes to de- 

 liver the child to the institution ; and on a re- 

 ceipt being produced of the faithful discharge of 

 this duty, the clergyman returns the money to 

 the depositing party. Old women are found 

 who undertake this employment ; but as the little 

 innocents are conveyed to Dublin in all seasons, 

 numbers, I should apprehend, must perish on 

 their journey. At a certain age the foundlings 

 are placed out with poor families about Dublin; 

 and on annually exhibiting the child, the under- 

 taking parties become entitled to the stipend 



TOL. II. K 



