The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-04
A Comparison Of the Building TO.
Day with What 1t Was IN
Republican Times.
Tho Great improvements ana hephsTa
Made In tho Buildings The
Splendid Condition OF the
Hospitals Finances.
What tie Present Board Of ADMINISTRATORS
HIS Accomplished.
uiH1,,RY.

n, rtaa Don Andrea tin AlmOnEttrr NnSnH.
che ,,ealth,eet citiHnn Of Louisiana. contrib
,,tca uome sttAW toward building honpt
tai of which tho city was then IN grnat need,
Don Andres In well known to all lnuislaniai'F
m the father of Madame do Funialhh. ana ~
the patron also Of the Cathedral Ut Lo'ils. the
bells Of whIcs, church ring out every Saturday
morning IN hills memory. This hrat hospital
founded hy the Inslnilicenec Of that Reneratia
xsnaniara VIVA the father es the Charity Hos
initial ofto-day. It was situated on Rampant
atrcct bctwaen IT. Peter and TpnlorRe. and
pna hn,y,ed In 1900. II wae then determined
That the hospital to replace II should be
erected beyoaA the city limits. amt FOR thiR
p,rpoaa the square Of ground now houndedb by
aannl. Dryadea. Faronna an6 Common
atreeis. IN what was then known ms tho city
commons" waa purchased. md here. ~ iBl6'
the second Charity hospital was erected. This
building was purchased axteen yearH laterhy
che STATE or Louisiana for the fnivaraity Tor
Siab. 900. With tho proceeds of this sale Tho
present hospital ON Common street. between
Howard and Freret. was built. The state of
Pennsylvania contributed semo little aid 70
the hospital. but Louisiana horo very nearly
the entire expense Of building IL. Among the
contributors ~ TIM old hospitals, however.
those on Rsmpsrt and Raronno streets. men
lion should ba made uf julien Poydraa. once
MAYER of this city. who donated tho aum Ut
aab. 600; Etienne Bore. also Mayor. aud II.
uaune
The present hospital. which was erected In
1882. covers tho entire aauare bounded hy
Common DRAWER. Ffernt and Howard
streets. one of The largest ~ tho CITY. maaa-
urinR abO feet front on Common md Gravler
and Aao on tho eide streets. aud containing
about four and u half acrea
Tho hospital consisted originally OF only
ono building, tho main or central ono Al
though forty .seven years old this building ig
an strong and substantial to-day ~ when
frat erected. The brick work III of oxtraoril-
nary thickness, and oven tho wallis between
Tho different wards AFRO Of brick. and not tho
usual wood and ri ,ster soon In modern build
ings. From this central building tho hos
initial has branched out In every direction
wing was irat added on the left soon follow
ad by another on tho right; then came rooms
ON the Howard street side for tho employees
kitchen. laundry, eto. the engineer's depart
mont on Gravier street. aud finally. IN 1879.
the lying-in hospital nj tho corner of Gravor
and Freret
These various buildings form the four sides
OF court. IN tho centre Of which la# tho hos
rital garden. under the especial care and
management OF n Slater OF Charity. 1t con-
fasns probably an aero Of ground, prettly laid
out In walks bprderei with tluwers, ever
greens, shrubs. eto. During the present aea-
son or winter ~ there IL not. of course, many
flowers 10 be- seen In bloom. tho walks and
beds moreover are somewhat filled and In
commoded Just ut present with old bricks.
plaster and lumber, temporarily placed there
while the building IL being repaired and I'm
proved. The green Of tho garden. however,
is a pleasant picture u the eyes OF tho sick
and convalescent, and II is but natural that
this portion OF the grounds and tho long Ral-
lery which looks down on II should DO the IA
vorte resting place of those patients well
enough 10 get about. but not quite well
enough to he thrown out on the cold and care
less world. Here are always To be seen some
dozen oonvalescehts, gazing with rapturons
eyes upon the garden. whose bright flowers
are probably u better and peasanter remedy
for them than drugs and draughts.
Many of the nvallds, however, are In tho
third story. and unable to take advantage OF
this garden save from Hfar, Down and up three
aned and enfeebIed by disease go. The board
OF director propose 10 remedy this by furnish
Ing the main building with an elevator. 80
that the convalescents OF tho second and
third stories can reach this longod-for gar
den without extra Pxertion.
About dozen buildings constitute the hos
pttal, each being set apart for some special
purpose. The two small buildings ut the en-
trance on Common street contain the various
offices. The main building. also fronting on
Common street, 300 feat long by 30 deep, con
tains large majority of the inmates OF the
hospital, having thtrty-tive OF the forty-two
wards into which IL ts divided The first
story contains the surgical and ophthalmic
wards two OF which are for eolored patients,
the laboratory, apothecary, mesS-room and
store-room. Tho second and third floors are
devoted to the general medical wards. The
Howard street building contains the women 9
wards, while on the Freret street side the
laundry, kitchen, etc. are situated.
There are seldom less than 500 people In
the building, patients and employees. at any
one time, aud often more than 1000. To care
for these quite n number of departments,
the kitchen department. laundry. engineers
department, and carpenter shop, are needed.
THE KITCHEN.
Next to the doctor, the position OF cook IL
the most important In n hospital. 1t will not
do to employ there All unskilled and Ignorant
person: Tor. TO en invalid. badly cooked and
fndigestible food means DEATH The hospital,
therefore, employs only persons worthy OF the
Gordon hteu, who understand the art OF cook
ing not only for persons OF vigorous ana ro-
bust appetites, but for invalids. Sister OF
Charity presides over the kitchen, as over all
the domestic departments, with three or
four assistants. The kitchen is not large
room, perhaps a0x5o feet but is well provided
with oven ranges and all the necessary ap-
paratus for cooking. A visitor ts at once
struck with It's neatnesa not eluailed In the |
sar-famed city OF II ottecdam. The door is
stainless, free from spot OF grease, and the
steel and iron work IL polished up to the
power OF mirror. The food provided varies
with the condition OF the patient. The house |
surgeon or visiting surgeon, as ne dag
noses each case, writes on the card Oh the pa |
TENT what diet he Is to have. Ia many cases |
al becomes necessary to furnish little luxuries.
as the invalid is often unable TO relish a
grosser diet and must have something espe-
rtaIlv GOOD to arouse his feeble appetite The |
ordinary rattons include soup, bread, meats,
potatoes milk, etc.
The hospital Ia great food consumer.
How GREAT its construction liz may be /
estimated from the fact that nearly a