Dr John Simpson’s Journal

1825
April 18th. On this day was opened our Dispensary for the admission of patients. I and Sharpe had to attend, but as Sharpe was engaged, Mr. Blakey attended for him. We had I think about eight or ten patients. Within the last few months four people have been killed at the different mills by the same kind of machinery. On Saturday night last a young man was accidentally shot at one of the mills, and today a manufacturer has taken a quantity of poison, which will kill him. Also a man has had his skull fractured by being struck at with an iron crow by one of his companions, and is I believe likely to die. The lower order of people here are such savages that they care very little for killing one another in their passions, or drunken freaks. A few years ago in the neighbourhood of Low Moor, there were some people very fond of horse flesh, both from their peculiarly savage dispositions and taste and also from the cheapness of it. Several of the epicures in horse flesh were punished for stealing and killing foals which were the tit pieces of those canibals. I have no doubt but well fed horses would make nutritious food, but these people eat in general what is called "ket" or dog-meat.

Today ought to have been held the quarterly meeting of our Subscription Library, but as several of the members of the Committee were from home and others were engaged we adjourned the meeting until this day fortnight.