When King Leopold of Belgium was in London recently he paid a visit to the Finsbury Dispensary, of which he is patron, thereby maintaining the close interest which Belgian Royalty has had in this institution for over 120 years. There ig no record to explain why a foreign king should be interested in this small organisation, which does good work in one of London's poorest (boroughs, but King Leopold is the fourth successive Belgian monarch to patronise the Finsbury Dispensary Another record of continuity ili provided by the presidency, for 125 years held by successive Marquesses of Northampton. At least one local family has been connected with the Dispensary at all times since its inception in 1780, A number of famous physicians have served on the medical staff including the celebrated Doctor I. Lettsol, of whom it was written:
"When patients do to me apply, I physics, bleeds and sweats em, 1t that don't do, no more I try, It they must die, I Lettsom.'
In 1914 the Dispensary was able to repay some of its debt to Belgium by making a grant of 100 guineas to the fund for helping the Belgian refugees in England, and by offering free medical service 10 refugees billeted in the localty.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.