The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-11 00:00:00

ST. THOMAS'S HOSPITAL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIRE—The selection of a site for St. Thomas's
Hospital is of great importance to the sick and dis-
abled on the Surrey side of the river. The lamentable
accident of yesterday is a case in point.
The evidence given before the Parliamentary
Committee by the treasurer of the hospital, and by
several influential governors and officers, renders it
virtually certain that a removal from the old site
must take place, notwithstanding the remonstrances
and imaginary legal difficulties set up by " Borough
Market." Every object for which the establish-
ment exists exclaims against any attempt to make
shift with the present site—already too small for
the accruing exigencies of a locality in which one of
the densest and poorest populations of London is

employed in dangerous and insalubrious depart-
ments of labour. The combined din of street and

railway is seriously injurious to nervous, enfeebled,
and excitable patients. If the noise be often Fo
great that, in some of the wards the medical men
can scarcely hear each other when in consultation,
I need not say what the effect must be upon inva-
lids, to whose every fibre physical agony imparts
enhanced sensitiveness. With the railway close to
the windows this pernicious uproar, so hostile to

therapeutic efforts, so incompatible with " fair play"
to nature and medical science, would, of course, be

aggravated.

But discussion on this part of the subject is, I
rust, superfluous. It may, I believe, be taken for

granted that the determination of the governors is, in
the words of one of your correspondents, " to give
to the world a model hospital, an institution by
which the highest amount of benefit will be con-
ferred on the poor, and, at the same time, the inte-
rests of science be promoted to the highest degree."
To realise this object it is essential that the site
should be easily accessible by the great mass of poor
patients, out-door as well as in-door; that it be in a
healthy locality, with ample space ; and that it be

sufficiently near town for convenient attention by
students and by eminent medical men, whose pro-
fessional time is so valuable and so fully engrossed.
Paraphrasing the language of " Guardian" I submit
to common sense that it is utterly impossible that all
these conditions can exist miles away from town.
I pass over the prescriptive right of three centu-
ries of possession by the Borough district, though
sound expediency, as well as equity, would not
wholly ignore it. But let me put the plain question,
whence come the majority of violent accidents, sud-
den and acute attacks of illness, and cases in which
everything depends on promptitude of treatment 12"
Undoubtedly from the crowded neighbourhoods
within a comparatively short distance from the
bridges ; while they come in only intermittent units
from the remoter and sparsely peopled districts.
Your correspondent " Guardian," who seems to
contemplate an hospital as distant as possible from
where it is most wanted, talks in very vague terms,
about a " large proportion" of patients coming
from long distances ; about " little more than
a third" coming from the immediate vicinity
of Southwark and Bermondsey; and "nearly
one quarter" from a lengthy list of re-
mote places. Now, the statistical truth is that
more than one-half come from the Borough district
and localities nearly adjoining, including Lambeth,
Newington, Walworth, &c., and scarcely one-fifth
from that district of which, as " Guardian" says,
the centre is distant four miles or more from St.
Thomas's. This surely ought to set at rest the ques-
tion of expediency, or rather of life-saving accessi-
bility for the vast crowd of pressing cases well
represented by a professional writer as those in
which a short distance would " turn the scale of life
and death to many a wretch who should be compelled.
to leave the Borough in search of a hospital."
Place the hospital where you will some patients
will have to come a distance. The difference is that
if you build it on a thinly inhabited spot, quite
away from town, almost all must travel many miles
(thus making regular attendance by poor out-door
patients quite impossible) ; whereas by having the
means of relief near the chief focus of the want, the
evil of distance and delay is minimised to the many.
Let all practical attention be paid to, the scattered
units ; but the wants of the crowded masses should
obviously give the cue to the arrangements.
As to medical men in full practice expending two
or three hours during the busiest part of the day iu
making their way by rail or brougham (or both) to
and from a country hospital, the idea may be dis-
missed as visionary. Respecting the student ele-
ment, suffice it to say that remote suburban quarters?
while by no means shutting the door upon " temp-
tation," would obstruct access to those means of
consultation with the experience of others, of refer-
ence, general observation, &c., so indispensable to
proficiency, and to be found only in great centreO
of population.
The hap hazard assertions of " Guardian" re'
specting the opinions of medical authorities are 110
inconclusive, though not so indecorous, as his in"
situations about " private interests," nor in such
poor taste as his apochryphal statements as to On
wishes of the late Prince Consort.
When, however, he endeavours, " upon sanitary
grounds" to prohibit the consideration of certain
convenient situations, including the Surrey Gar'
dens, I take leave to refer him to the really
authentic opinion of " high medical authorities," 08
indicated by one of their principal representatives
in the press. The testimony of the Lancet is, that
the Surrey Gardens " combine the requisite advan-
tages in a superior degree." " Here," it continues t
" is a site exceeding 12 acres, with a soil chiefly
gravel, where the air is free and salubrious, with
good facilities for drainage that will soon be
proved by the construction of the southern loft
level main drain, and standing in the midst of
broad roads, connecting all the metropolitan
bridges, and concentrating the traffic from the
southern counties." The vital importance of goo':
roads and extensive communications for the proue
conveyance of patients need not be descanted
The drainage of the gardens, too, has already been
carried to an advanced stage towards cotnpletenes*
for perfecting which all that is required is the con-
elusion of the main drainage works now in active
progress. Gas and water of the purest quality 01
laid on. In short, much of the work that wouldbc'
necessary on an unimproved cite is here already

executed.
In adducing these facts I do not mean to pro'
pound any dictum respecting the adoption of thl°
or that site, but simply to indicate principlcs which
appear to me of primary importance to the interest°
involved, and to " guard" the public from being
being misled by fallacies, prejudices, and assurer
tions.—Your obedient servant, F.R.C.S•

LAMBETH BRIDGE COMPANY.—The report of t 136
directors states that the whole of the land required for til:
works is in the hands of the contractors. It has been p":
cessary to purchase more land than has been actutthlf
required for the site of the bridge, but this will become
value when the bridge is open, and may be resold with t!,,
vantage. The terms of purchase have been safisfactorlU
arranged in every case, except with the occupiers of 03e
Lambeth Wharf, and a portion of the land on the We°ri
minster side. The directors have arranged with the Laid%
Gas Light Company to lay down two mains of 18 in
of
diameter, which has required an increase in the strength f
the structure, for which the company receive a pap/Witt °,O
£3,000, with the advantage of the bridge being lighted if-,
of cost. The report of the engineer shows that rapid Pro

gress has been made in the works.
CHARGE OF FORGERY AGAINST A DERBY SOljf:
CITOR.—At the Derby Police-court, yesterday, juselho,
Shaw, solicitor, Full-street, Derby, and high bailiff of
Derby County Court, aged 35, was brought up in custe"t;
on a charge of forgery. The prisoner was apprehended
Normtnton, near Derby, at an early hour on Sunday re°lllor
ing, by Mr. Hilton, head constable of Derby, InsPec:l-10
Fearn, and Detective Vessey. The warrant upon
prisoner was apprehended stated " that the prisoner, on t;
Bth day of April, 1859, feloniously uttered a deed PurP°rto
ing to convey certain land in Bath-street Ilkeston' a
Thomas Hives and his heirs, the said deed being forged el),0
counterfeit, and by this means defrauded John Adsette, t7O
person to whom it was uttered, of £850." The court he
densely crowded by parties wishing to hear the otise',,,a,
apprehension of the accused (who is most respectably
netted) having caused a great sensation in the town. "0.
Huish, barrister (Midland circuit), instructed by
birnd
H. It. Cox, solicitor, appeared for the prosecution; ,e 0
Mr. Leech, solicitor, appeared for the prisoner, who, 3'7'o
placed in the dock, seemed to feel must acutely the pets
ro'
position in which he was
placed. The prisoner WAS
mended for a Wed.