The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-07-17
THE BEST IN THE WORLD.
Johns HopkIns's Second Great Gift
to Baltimore.

The largest and finest hospital In tho world
has been completed at Baltimore after ten
years of continuous work. II will be opened
with formal ceremonies next Autumn. II
bears the name Of John Hopkins which has
been so widely familiarized In both hemis-
pheres by the university which he founded
and which Is said TO be better known in Eu-
rope for original works In science and edu-
cation than any other American institution.
Johns Hopkins was poor Quaker's son
who came TO Baltimore from Anne Arundel
County. His uncle was merchant Of stand
ing in this city. The boy became a clerk in
his store. He developed such capacity that
he soon had charge Of the establishment, and
his uncle started him in business for himself
The result was that In a few years the young
man had made money enough TO BUY out MS
seemed to turn into gold. Money making
became his ruling passion. His one idea
was accumulation. To his natural shrewd-
ness he added parsimony. He never spent
cent more than he could help. Even after
he had millions to his credit he would argue
for half an hour II necessary to get reduc-
ti0n OF the smallest purchase. He and John
w. Garrett were the financial autocrats of
the city. He profted largely from invest
naasnfs IN Raltmnre and Ohio stock and when
lishment Of a hospital and a university 10
bear the name. 70 the university he gave
II, 500 shares Of the common stock Of the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad and his large es-
tate at Clifton. Just outside Of the northeast
ern part Of the city, an endowment worth
over $3,0O0,000. To the hospital he left thir-
teen acres Of ground on Broadway, In some
respects the finest thoroughfare in the city,
stocks and bonds to the market Ivalue Of
$4,000 and real and leasehold property,
mostly stores, warehouses and commercial
buildings, worth about 81, 400, 900 more. The
University Board Of Trustees and the Hos
pital Board are distinct corporations, but the
active mnagers Of the finances of the trust
are in both corporations. The leading man
In the management of both trusts is Mr..
Francis t. King. Quaker millionaire, who
Is Treasurer Of the University Trustees and
President Of the Hospital Trustees. In the
management Of the two great trusts there
has been mutual cooperation In the develop
ment Of their plans.
The university was opened in 1876, and its
growth since then has been without paral-
lei in the history Of education. The number
of students has increased from S8 the first
year to about 400 in 1888. The number of
teachers has increased from 20 In 1867 to
about 30 at present. Every State In the
Union and nearly all foreign countries are
represented. Most Of the famous men Of
science and letters have lectured there, and
the Institution is having a very peTceptible
influence upon the social life of the city, and
Is giving 1t an intellectual phase which 1t
NEVER DOSotSStu DtlOTc. VIC LufuDlt IN BAL
timore and Ohio stock affected the Teyences
of the university considerably, but the con-
servative Trustees had good reserve fund
accumulated, and before this Is exhausted
the railroad stock will probably be paying
dividends again.
Johns Hopkins was even more interested
In his hospital than in the university as Is
proved by the fact that his bequest for 1t was
muchtthe larger His idea was that 1t should
be absolutely the finest hospital In the world
and that it should entirely free for ali classes
and conditions OF humanity. In 1875 the
Trustees decided to get the views Of five of
the most distinguished physicians chosen
from different.parts OF the country. who bad
made hospitals their special study. The five
selected were Lieutenant Colonel and As
sistant Surgeon John s. Billings, United
States Army; DIR. Norman Folsom, Boston
DR.. Joseph Jones, New Orleans; DR.. Caspar
Smith. New York. The essays, with explain
atory charts, diagrams, etc, from these gen.
tlemen were published by the Trustees In a
handsome octave volume Of $50 pages, and it
Is today the most valuable and complete
manual ever contributed to medical litera-
ture upon hospitals. DIR. Billings was inyit-
ed to act as Medical Superintendent and d.
rector Of the buildings which were in course
OF erection. He was sent to Europe TO visit
all the noted hospitals in England and on the
The result Is one Of the finest collections Of
buildings in the world. They are % in num-
Der, and as They stand ON three of the most
elevated squares in Baltimore being us feet
above tide water, they are conspicuous from
every outlook in the city. From the main
building whose dome rises 200 feet above the
ground and 313 feet above tidewater, there is
superb view Of all Baltimore and its sur
rOundingS.
The general shape oi the buildings Is that
Of an 4. The administration building, the
largest and most imposing of all, stands in
the front centre Of the group, II contains
the offices OF the trustees and the faculty and
several lecture halls. Extending from 1t to
and through all the other structures Is wide
and lofty corridor. The top Of this corridor
forms an open terrace walk on a level with
the hospital ward floors in the second stories
Of the several buildings.
The wards are ranged on a parallel, and
extend eastward from the administration
building in two lines. The first two wards
are octagon, and will be for the better class
or patients. The others are the common
wards. In the main department Of each
ward VIII be two dozen wards. The ward
| floors are 123 feet above mean tide. There
| are two isolated wards, each with its sepa-
| rate system Of ventilation and other faeili-
| ties, so that they can be completely shut off
| from the rest OF the hospital. In the admin
| istrati0n building, besides the Offices and IL
brary, are the private apartments for the
| resident medical officers and students. The
pay wards are In the octagonal building, and
contain private bathrooms, dining saloons,
and kitchens The wards contain over 800
beds.
The next principal buildg to the adminls-
tratiOn building is the nurses home, which
is four stories in height, and the most novel
institution OF the kind in the world. The
| two upper stories are apportioned into sleep
apartments, each nurse nurse having her
own room. On the lower floors are parlors,
| reception rooms and reading rooms exclu-
/ slyely for the nurses, and training kitchen.
i This Will be used for giving the student
nurses thorough training in the preparation
| Of food for invalids. A feature Of the great
/ institution Is to be a training school for
/ nurses, in which young women from all
i parts Of the country are educated In the art
| Of properly tending the sick. They will be
| given careful medical instruction and prac-
tice for period OF several years In the
| wards of this hospital before receiving the
certificates which will qualify them as efIici-
i cient nurses.
An interesting novelty is the amphitheatre
in which the students "a medical school will
be 6ne OF the features OF the institution
| will gather to hear lectures and witness the
i work OF demonstrators. Connected with it
| are the dead rooms and apartments in which
the subjects" will be prepared for the seal
/ pei Near 1t are a pathological laboratory
and a waiting room for funerals, and not far
| away Is miniature cremat0ry IN the shape
/ Ola retort, which will be used for consum-
ing the fragments Of bodies sent out from the
| dissecting rooms.
The laundry itself Is about as large as an
ordinary hospital. 1t is one of the most in
teresting buildings Of the aggregation, the
| special feature being its complete disinfect-
ing chamber. The bathhouse Is supplied
with the latest inventions for all kinds of
baths.
There is a dispensary for the treatment of
the general poor of the city. 1t Is .cOmmo-
dious building containing central waiting
room, II private consulting rooms, and rooms
specially adapted TO surgical operations. ii
| would require a column to describe ali the
various buildings and their numerous excel
| lences.
ANY one who has studied the subjects OF
drainage, ventilation and heating will be en-
thusiastic over this hospital, as its sanitary
arrangements are about as perfect as the,
can be. The heating will be done by hoi
water. Electricity will furnish most of thu
illumination. The furnace and boiler rooms
| will look like machine and engine works
as they are necessarily on a very large scale
All in all 1t Is unquesti0nably the finest instl
tuition Of its kind in the world, and as 1t VIII
be entirely free to both white and eolored
patients, II will undoubtedly accomplish a
| vast amount OF good.
Customs Inspector Millings, stationed on
: the United States steamer Alaskan, In
J | Washington Territory, was recently APP
| preached by 4. I'll. Wantrode, an EXCLUSIONS
, | offcer. who made proposition to pay Mill
| mos az per week IL he would permit thirty
na1nds az prepared opium to be smuggled on
the Alaskan into the United States every