Its income in those early years was scanty, its patients few and far between, it had no endowment whatever. It was a privileged institution, that is, except in cases of extreme urgency, its benefits were given only to the holders of subscribers’ tickets. During the year 1885, 3,545 in-patients and 38,501 out-patients were treated at this Institution. Its subscription list amounted to £5,448; the income of its endowments reached the respectable figure of £2,787, and the total income from all sources, ordinary and extraordinary, was nearly £15,000. It is still in theory a privileged institution; but more than two-thirds of the in-patients, and more than half of the out-patients were admitted in 1885 as “accidents and urgent cases” without recommendation. In recent years enormous improvements have been made both in the laws and in the administration of this Hospital. The old system by which every Governor had a vote in the election of a Medical Officer has been abolished, and vacancies for the much coveted position of Physician or Surgeon to the charity are now filled by a sufficiently large and representative Committee. The legacies, which are very numerous, are funded to the extent of one half of their amount; and the annual reports are models for clearness and accuracy of information. A great extension of the hospital work has recently been made. A branch Hospital for chronic cases has been established by the munificence of Mr. John Jaffray, and has recently been opened by the Prince of Wales. The Endowment Fund of this department already exceeds £30,000, and special subscriptions have been obtained amounting to nearly £500 a year. The great Triennial Musical Festivals, which in late years have ceased to be peculiar to Birmingham, were first established in connection with the Birmingham General Hospital. A Committee of the Governors is specially appointed to carry out these important undertakings, and they have spared no effort in procuring the finest music from the ablest Composers, rendered by the foremost artists of the time. The Elijah of Mendelssohn, the Eli and Naaman of Costa, the Light of the World of Sullivan, the St. Peter of Benedict, and the Redemption and Mors et Vita of Gounod, are some of the great works first produced at Birmingham under the management of the “Orchestral Committee,” whose aim has been on the one hand to obtain the perfection of music, and on the other to augment the income of the Hospital. These Festivals have been held since the year 1768, and have resulted in a net profit to the Hospital of over £120,000. Since the year 1849, the gross receipts at any Festival have never been less than £10,000, and in one year they exceeded £16,000. In the year 1885, when the last Festival was held, the gross receipts were £13,715, and the net profit accruing to the Charity was £3,500.