Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-10
THE SAVANNAH HOSPITAL.
A Noble Institution and How 1t IS Man
aged-HOw the Patients are Received
and Treatsd-The Improvements that
Have Been Made in the Past Year.


aged-HOw the Patients are Received
and Treatsd-The improvements that
Have Been Made in the Past Year.
The Savannah Hospital is one of the
handsomest public buildings in the city.
The main structure is about 60 feet
front and 80 feet deep, exclusive
of verandahs. 1t is three stories
high on basement, and is
flanked on the east and west sides by two
wings about 60 feet in length and 80 feet
deep and two stories in height. The up
per portion of the building was formerly
occupied by the old Medical college, but
in 1877 the structure was remodeled and
extensions made, and in the fall of that
year 1t was occupied as hospital. The
spacious grounds are bounded
by Huntingdon, CASTOR, DrayUon
the choicest in the city, being directly
east of Forsyth Park, and fronting some
of the most costly private residences.
From whatever side the structure is
viewed its appearance is imposing, with the
white exterior of its walls rejecting the
light and forming a marked contrast to
the dark foliage Of lofty pines and wide
spreading oaks which ornament the site.
and IN part form the background of the
view.
The main entrance is reached from
Huntington street by a broad stairway
leading to spacious pOrtico across which
the visitor passes to the main door, and
an interior hall about u feet in width
and 80 feet in length. This hall ter
inmates at the north side of the
structure where the rear door opens
out upon wide porticO and a flight of
stone steps leading to the open grounds on
the CASTOR street side.
The main hall is intersected by passage
way of corresponding width which ex-
tends the entire length of the building. A
stairway leads from this hall to the base
ment, where the ceilings are high and all
the apartments well lighted and venti-
lated.
In this portion of the building is located
the paint room, trunk room, pantry and
kitchen, while in the eastern wing is a long
dining room for the accommodation of the
chronic patients, three private rooms for
servants employed on the premises, a
store room, and a heating room, the latter
supplied with boiler with a capacity of
over 300 gallons, with pipes leading to
steam chests on the upper floors.
In the western wing of the basement
are five apartments, including wards for
aged male and female patients, a room
for the night Waterman and other attend
ants.
Beyond this wing on the west side Of the
building is the morgue or dead house, a
new structure built wholly underground
some three months ago, and which was
described in the MORNING NEWS about
that time.
The first story Of the hospital is divided
into rooms for the accommodation of the
superintendent and the resident ply
stefan. There is also a dining room,
linen room and a dispensary. These
rooms are neatly furnished and well ven-
tilated. There are also five pri-
Vate rooms for the accommodation of
females. One portion of this floor was
formerly used as a ward for seamen, but
was remodeled short time ago, forming
eight private rooms for gentlemen.
At the eastern extremity of the wing
there is spacious bath room and trunk
room. An elevator leading from the
basement is used to carry meals to the
patients on the first and second floors. 1t
is proposed to construct a second elevator
leading from the basement at the rear of
the building to the third floor. This
elevator will be used to move the sick on
their arrival at the hospital to the upper
floors, and for the transportation of bed
ding and furniture. The elevator already
in use is too small for the work, and is
only adapted, on account of it's location.
for the service for which it was originally
intended.
A double stairway leads from the first
floor to the second, where the visitor en-
ters wide passage-ways similar to those
described in the first story. Two large
piazZas, one on the south and the other
on the north side of the building are
used by cOnvalescents.
Here the patients imaY sit in the shade
and enjoy fine view of that portion of
the city, and be refreshed by the in
vigorating atmosphere, which at times
assumes the character of a stiff breeze.
Within are several private rooms opening
into the main hall, while two wards, one
for male and the other for female
patients, occupy the east and west wings
Each OF these wards furnish accommoda-
tions for % patients. The beds are
ranged in rows.
Everything is kept absolutely clean,
and ample light and ventilation is fur
nished by number of windows set in the
north and south walls.
Miss Hinsdale, Assistant SuperinteDd-
ent, came to the hospital last March from
the training school for nurses in Bellevue
Hospital in New York. At her sCgges-
ton several marked Improvements have
been made in the facilities for the care
and convenience Of the sick, among the
number being the subdivision of portion
of each ward into a small dining
room, which is furnished with
table and chairs. Here those who
are too feeble to go to the dining-rooms
on the lower floors may take their meals
undisturbed, and at the same time be
separated from the view of the other pa
tients who are not in condition to leave
the wards.
All the interior stairways in the hos
pital are covered with rubber,
which deadens the sotina Of the footstep.
The passageways are tastefully Co., CO."
peted, the ceilings are white, and every
portion of the woodwork is kept fresh in
coloring and attractive to the eye. A
large clock in the main hall noise
lessly indicates the flight of time, and
every department is conducted in such
systematic and quiet way that even the
most sympathetic nerve of the extremely
i'll cannot be shocked by an unwelcome
sound.
DIR. William Duncan is General Su-
perintendent of the institution,
and is ably seconded by DR.. G. II.
Colding, the resident physician, DR..
Charlton, the visiting physician, and
by Miss Whitley, the chief nurse. Dur
ing the absence of the matron, Mrs. Gold-
ing, Miss Hinsdale is officiating in the
dual capacity of Assistant Superinten-
dent and matron, and carefully looks
after the needs OF the 46 patients now
in her care.