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City of London Lying-in Hospital, City-road, was instituted in 1750. This hospital, in 1809, had subsisted fifty-nine years; and had relieved, in that time, 24,902 poor married women, of whom 25,196 children had been born. Out of the whole number, 292 women have been delivered of twins, and two women had three children at the birth.

Christ’s Hospital, Newgate Street, was founded by Edward VI., for supporting and educating the fatherless children of poor freemen of the city; of whom 1000, of both sexes, are generally maintained in the house, or out at nurse, and are also clothed and educated. Forty boys are qualified for the sea. These wear appropriate badges, and their classes are examined by the elder brethren of the Trinity-house; ten of them are yearly appointed to ship masters, and ten others received into their places. The other boys are apprenticed to different trades, at the charge of the hospital; or, if properly qualified are sent to Oxford or Cambridge. One scholar is sent every year, except on the return of every seventh year, when two are sent.

British Lying-in Hospital (The) was instituted in 1749. The committee have preserved an account of those who have died here. In the first ten years of the institution, one woman died in forty-two; in the fifth ten years, one in 288; in the sixth ten years, only one in 216.

Bethlem Hospital, Lambeth, for lunatics; “is a huge but comely” edifice, and munificently endowed; it formerly stood in Moorfields, but now ornaments St. George’s; it is an immense structure, with an elegant frontage of 300 feet, and cost £100,000. The celebrated reclining statues of raging and melancholy madness, that were formerly exposed to the effects of our “moody climate,” after a restoration from Bacon’s skilful chisel, are now sheltered in the hall of the hospital.

Transcriptions from historical books about London Hospitals

The Great plague of London. London was visited by the plague for the last time in 1665, when 68,596 people are said to have died. In 1625, (another terrible year), 35,417 people died, (it is said about 5000 a-week); and in 1603 as many as 30,561. The Great Fire of London in 1666 (the year after the Great Plague) was the means of destroying so many low ill-drained alleys, and ill-ventilated houses, that we may safely attribute our after freedom from this dreadful scourge to the purification by fire of our old London purlieus.