George Murray, the wealthy owner of a substantial textile mill complex in the area, was the Dispensary's first president; the first physician, and one of the founders, was James Kay, whose "Moral and Physical Condition of the Working Classes" (1832) was in large part based on his experiences there. Kay was one of many who perceived detrimental effects regarding charity, arguing in 1834 that it promoted poverty rather than assisted in its relief. As a dispensary, there were no beds and all treatments were carried out in the homes of patients or on an outpatient basis. With an expenditure of around £400 per annum, by July 1833 the Dispensary had treated over 13,000 people. The demographics of the area in which it was situated — densely populated, industrialised and socio-economically deprived — caused it to deal with a lot of accidents and infectious diseases. Those who worked for the institution became familiar with the public health issues.