St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-11-26
WEST PHILADELPIIIA HOSPITAL.

w. go
A ladysxho shitsdthe West Phila-
delphia Hospital rcceutly sgives us the
following dcscrip ion: s. ii 81
Thu Hospital i bailt on alittls elevation
in an airy a.d healthy .loca'ion..a " On going
IN, we inquired for Dr.. Kennedy, one Of he
surgeons belonging to tho Hospital with
whom L. was ac1 t*thted. lie soon,
made his Appearance. and said he would be
very happy 10 show Us oil that %as IF in
terest
The building itself is in the form Of the
Litter 1.-THE connecting link being the
business part Of the establishment and two
stories high (the main part being but one)
on the top OF which, in sort Of pavilion,
the Hospital Band was playing. This
band is purposely for the Hospital. and
plays several hours each day. Near the
ehtrntite is fountain Guilt of stones, but
nevertheless hooking quite picturesque.
The Doctor Hohductcd us first into one
ofthe dining halls. Which runs the whole
length of the building. On the tables,
scotrea clean and white, were tin pilates
and CUPS arranged as for supper. The
wards open out into these halls. Each
ward; looking like another large hall, con
tains sixty beds, with two small rooms par
titioned off at the e4kance, ono for the
ward master and one for the sister. The
only nurses allowed in the establishment
are sisters. -.
Most OF the wards were decorated with
festoons of d'tferent-colored paper cut in
fanciful shapes, and pictures revealing in
hucs of deep scarlet and bright blue pasted
on the walls. Everytlring was nice and
clean and comfortable looking. There
were no utsy sick patients, although the
Doctor said they had at thattimc two thou
sand. 1t will contain five thousand, being
ono of the largest hospitals in The United
States. We next visited the kitchen, where
were five immense iron pots, each one look
ing big enough 10 boil that fabulous head
Of cabbage you have all heard Of. In one
apples were stewing for supper-all cook.
ing being done by steam while, by way
of swcctcning, a soldier poured in molas-
ses from a',bucket, stirring all together
with huge stick. In another, tea was
put to drasr; i e. it was full of hot water
with milk and sugar in it. told the Doc.
tor that didn't believe it was good. He
gave me some to taste; and it really was
nice, only, as L. remarked, rather ,reak
"Ohr twoined the. Doctor, "strong tea
isn't good for sick folks" Another poi
was full cf hash. The Doctor lifted uF
the lid, and there steamed forth Al apctis.
ing smell Of beef, potatoes and oniens.
We then went into the Laundry, where
the Sister in charge showed US all the i'm
provements-tubs built all in row, will
faucets to let in hot or cold water and ever
to boil the clothes! right III the tub. l,
boil and no fire visible. 70 each tub il
attached wringing machine and they have
also manglc.
From there we proceeded TO the Commits:
sary department: Here everything is ar.
ranged in tile best possible order. The
room is divided into number Of compart.
ments, each designed to hold but. one %,
two kinds Of articles. In one was tea and
coffee, in anoth; J, sugar and molasscs, in
another potatoes. sweet potatoes and tur.
hips, in another meat, etc; each door be
ing labelled with the name of the article
Then the bread room, which, lined round
with shelves, Was filled with loaves of nice
white looking bread They have patent
cutter for s,icing it and as soldier passed
us with huge waiter full, 1 broke off q
piece and tasted it,. 1t was good anil sweet
Tht Doctrf said they had been using un-
fermented bread, But that now Govern
ment had established a bakery in Philad.l.
phia and ali their bread was made there;
We next visited The Reading Room,
which looked to be about hundred feet
long, clean (as indeed everything about
the establishment was} aid airy, well
lighted and filled with benches. II In III One
cnd was piano. on which the ladies some
times play for the amusement Of the sol.
diers and which they themselves are per-
mittcd to use. Near the entrance is parti-
toned off a library, containing two thou.
sand books, some bought by subscription,
some presented by private individuals
Among them I noticed many of the stand
ard works, histories, novels, poems, relig-
ious works, etc. Two ladies, from the city
60 there each day; to distribute the books
to the soldiers. Their method, Of doing
this and also TO prevent their books from
being carried of is this: There ;are,| two
half doors to the libraryji:.A soldier : has
d pass to the readine room and q catalogue
Of The various works. He selects one from
the catalogue and going to the door asks
the lady inside for the book he ,,dames.-
She gives it to him At the same timetaking
his psalsa;E As he is unable to leave the
foom without it, hs istdf 'eenr.e obliged, to
bring pack the" book,i1 ottdaf|' io 3a5stai1it
7" ITO Printing paiee' ~a Is tiit :hext' object
Of interest and thiiher W We were turned =:
+ In, large p room at tie end Of ono # the
halls onI IN = n,,;fo - nrr,tn. - 80 ,b