The Portland daily press., 1877-10-05
MAINE GENERAL HOSPITAL.
consumption of Fuel and System of Ven-
tiiati0n.

We.are requested to publish in full the fol-
lowing part of the Directors report presented
by the President, DR.. Gilman, at the annual
meeting of the corporation of the I'd inst:
The annual consumption of fuel has given oc-
caslon to much comment if not severe criticism.
Ihoeea many friends OF the hospital have re-
garded the coal bill if not extravaganza as un-
necessarily large,-under the erroneous impress
sion that heat by indirect radiation is an nm
warrantable luxury, and not as it really is so
Tar as applied, hygenic necessity.
Permit US again to go briefly into statistics:
Flrst-The consumption of fuel would not be
increased if our average number of natients
was increased fourfold. 1t would cost no more
to warm eighty than twenty inmates. which
will be seen at glance by an inspection of the
premises
Second-The very important fact should he
remembered, one that is not understood aud of
course not recognized in the community. that
our heating apparatus performs the function of
ventilation-the most essential element in hos
pital construction. The great defect in hospi-
tails built years ago, when the laws of sanitary
science were not known as they are to-day, lies
in this direction.
Exhalations ever arising from the bodies of
the sick, and especially from diseased and de-
caylng tissue soon contaminate the air. and I'M
less speedily removed by adequate appliances
exert deleterious effect upon all exposed to
their influence
In the hospitals referred tolthe vitiated air,
in consequence of defective construction can
never be wholly removed and in the progress
OF time, notwithstanding every possible precau-
ton, subtle poison is generated which, per-
meating the entire structure, endangers the
health and even the lives of the patients-es-
pecially those who have to encounter the shock
of severe surgicaloperations. Indeed lit has often
been recommended in sanitary point of view
to demolish all such structures and to subject
the materials to the purifying process of fire as
the only etfectual way of destroying the poison
with which from the accumulation of years the
very bricks become saturated.
Happily this hygienic fact was we'll under
stood by the projectors and early friends of the
Maine General Hospital, and regarding the
comfort and safety of patients of paramount
Importance, they wisely determined that at
whatever cost the wards should be constructed
in accordance with the most advanced princi-
pies of heat and ventilation as applied to hos
pital architecture
The apparatus adopted, we are happy to say
exceeds in every respect our most sanguine eX-
pectations, furnishing:.as it does the requisite
amount OF heat with an uninterrupted supply
at all times of fresh air. Indeed the air in the
general wards-where indirect radiation is only
used-can be entirely renovated every twenty
minutes if necessary, day and nights. We have
no fear OF 'toxe mia or blood poisoning there
and although our arrangements may involve
the expense of few additional tons of coal,
can the expenditure be regarded in any other
light than as judicious and eminently humane
investment in view of the diminished death
rate which must follow as sure and may we
not say priceless result?