, 1874-08-19


Thoro aro two ways OF building hospital. It
1nay be run up five Or six stories high, and then
loft to aonk In contagion from every patient it
shelters until It reekB with diaoaso, md kills In
atoad Of curos or 1t may BIO built like cluatoe
OF barracks, at tltho OF tho cost and bo removed
evory fow yoars before any part Of It becomes a
cantro Of peatilenco.
In Now York City tho proprtety Of tearing
down ono or two massive old hospitals, In order
to obvinto thoir contagious tuiiuonco, Inns boen
enrtouaiy discussed. Tho medical profoBHion Of
tho city seomR to DO genoraliy in favor OF It, bns
tho apparent waste OF money involved has 30 far
moro than countesbalanced tho evldont
Uaato Of life. In Leipsio, tho barrack-
syntam haR beon adopted with tho hap
pleat results. During tho franco-aer-
man war 10000 Frenohmen were confined
near Leipsio When they we're sent homo and
the barracks built for them wero about to DO
torn down. 1t was suggested by prominent phy-
slclana that they should be changed into hos~
pital This waa done, After being properly
fumlgatod and otherwise oloansed, they were
opened as s1olk-wards Tho patients In the
hospitals within the city wero tsansferred to
them. Tho ratio Of mortality among the sick
has slnoo greatly docreaaod-
Tho main advantages OF the barraok-Bystem
are. In briet these 1t Is by tar tho cheaper, for
although more land ia needed, the cost OF tho
buildings Ia but sritle. Two thin brick walls,
ono story high, stretching along 400 ox 700 feet,
are all that Is needed to accommodate great
number Of PATIENTS It ia by fur tho healthier.
When one ward has becn' used as long az safety
permits, It can bo knocked to piocea In
q few dayB. Tho woodwork of tho floor
and roof can then be used as fuel Tho
briokB, aftar lying In tho open air for
some timo, can DO again built into wall. lii
| is thought advisable movable pavilion OF iron,
such a. are to be used in tho construction Of the
Centennial Exposition building, eau ba arranged
IS sick-wards. After certain ttmo they can be
disinfeoted, and then be used again. To the
non-modca1 mind thore seems to DO slight chance
OF comparison between a oonstantly-ronewot
hospital, open to freah afr on every side, and at
everlasting one, With narrow courts that must be
Allied with polluted atr, and With wallis, floors
and ceilings saturated with tho seeds OF diseas
and douth. Chicago physicians will do vel
to press this matter upon tho consideration
OF the County Commissioners. It ia souaethin
that needs to be decided before no spend bun
drods Of Thousands OF dollars On cur County Hos
pita1. Since nc arc to pay 60 much, We want t4'
best article for our money. Putting upn building
that will kill instead OF curing our sick would b
TOO costly folly. We have been made to pa
9145, 900 for 8 hospital ette which WAS offored
us for more than yoar at 9130,000; but It
arc almost tempted to promise that We sha
gr,umble no moro about this outrage II til
County Commissioners will partly atono for
} by listening to the advice OF the best n1odcs
men concerning. the kind Of hospital to b
} erected. There Is no longer any difference
! opinion among well-lntor1ned medical men o
, this subject. Chicago must have "bar1ack
. or "pavilion" hospital, whereby re may at ono
} save life and money.