Nurses.—­Tim Birmingham and Midland Counties’ Training Institution for Nurses, organised in 1868, has its “Home” in the Crescent.  It was founded for the purpose of bringing skilled nursing to the homes of those who would otherwise be unable to obtain intelligent aid in carrying out the instructions of their medical attendants.  The subscription list for 1882 amounted to L282 1s., and the sum to the credit of the nurses pension fund to L525 1s.  The committee earnestly appeal for increased support, to enable them to extend the work of the institution, from which at present the services of four nurses are granted to the District Nursing Society, Newhall Street, for attendance on the sick poor.  The staff included 66 trained nurses, with 18 probationers, the latter passing for their training through the General, Children’s, and Homoeopathic Hospitals.  The nurses from the “Home” attend on an average over 500 families in the year, those from the District Society conferring their services on nearly 200 other families.

Protestant Dissenting Charity School, Graham Street.—­This is one of the oldest of our philanthropical institutions, having been established in 1760—­the first general meeting of subscribers being held June 22, 1761.  The first house taken for the purposes of the charity was in New Meeting Street, and both boys and girls were admitted, but since 1813 only girls have received its benefits.  These are taken from any locality, and of any Protestant denomination, being housed, fed, clothed, educated and trained for domestic servants.  There are usually about 45 to 48 inmates, the cost per child averaging in 1883 (for 56 girls) nearly L20 per head.  At the centenary in 1861 a fund of nearly L1,500 was raised by public subscription in aid of the institution, which has but a small income from investments.  Subscribers of a guinea per year have the right of nominating and voting for the admission of one child every year.  The present home in Graham Street was erected in 1839, and application should be made to the matron for information or for servant girls.

Sanatorium, situated at Blackwell, near Bromsgrove.—­This establishment, which cost L15,750, of which L2,000 was given by Miss Ryland, was built to provide a temporary home, with pure air, rest, and nourishing diet for convalescent patients, who otherwise might have had to pine away in the close-built quarters of this and neighbouring towns.  The buildings, which will accommodate sixty persons, were opened April 16, 1873, and take the place of a smaller establishment to which Miss Ryland had devoted for some years a house at Sparkbrook.  The average number of inmates is put at fifty, and the number who passed through the house in 1883 was 1,052, the expenditure for the year being L1,780 8s.  The income was derived from annual subscriptions, L901 10s.; special subscriptions, L347 11s. 6d.; paid by hospitals for maintenance of patients, L192 6s.; grant from the General Hospital, L26 5s.; share of Hospital Saturday collection, L211 Os. 4d.  The Secretary, from whom all information can be received as to terms of special and other tickets, is Mr. E.J.  Bigwood, 3, Temple Row West.