Genre:

Song, Drollery

Subjects:

Utilitarianism, Class, Health, Disease, Quackery, Morality, Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment, Government

    An attack on the new guardians of the St Pancras Poor Law Union, condemning them for 'Bringing Local Self-Government into contempt at a most alarming rate' and for threatening to 'bring back the bad old time'. Notes their greed, their use of 'under-paid officers', and their killing of paupers. Points out that the new guardians hold 'All medical men' to be 'humbugs' and consider 'all paupers' ailments feints', while they 'have the sick-wards cleared, double-quick' whatever the cost to patients' lives. They 'soon find a Doctor who'll make short work of paupers and their complaints'. Adds that they refuse to have inquests into paupers' deaths, oppose centralisation, and punish the master of the workhouse who 'splits' on them.