Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1889-05-23
The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

lie UneSt nO>pltdl III tHc NOiiu mas
been formally opened in Baltimore. Four
teen years have been occupied in the prep
arations and labors of It's construction.
Experts have visited all the great hospi-
tails in the world and there is not sue
cessful feature of hospital architecture
and sanitation that it does not contain.
Some of its plans went through as many
as twelve revisions, and the the result Is
as near perfection as science, perseverance
and cash could bring it, The institution
is the Johns Hopkins hospital. 1t is free
without regard to age, sex or color. 1t
has magnificent endowment Of s3,4OO,-
600. Johns Hopkins arrived in Balti-
more a poor boy. His family were Qua
kers. He got employment in his unce's
store. His uncle desired TO make an eX-
tensive trip west and left the establish
ment in the young mans hands. The
young man did so well that when he
wanted to branch out in business for him.
self the next year his uncle gave him the
capital to it. Johns Hopkins began to
make money and he kept at it until at his
death, in 1873, he was worth over sS,OOO,-
600. OF this he gave 81 100000 to his
relatives and 100000 to found a uni
versity and hospital 10 bear his name.
The university has long been known rs
one of the noted Institutions Of the coun-
try. The hospital is destined TO do as
much, if not more for the science Of
medicine than any institution of its kind
in existence, for it will afford facilities
for research, and experiment beyond any
thing now known.
If YOU visit Baltimore you cannot miss
it, for the hospital stands gracefully on
the highest point along Broadway, 115
feet above tidewater, and comprises sew
enteen buildings, covering under roof
over four acres of ground. Perhaps you
will get an idea of its size when you know
that over 20,OO00O0 of pressed bricks,
5000 tons of iron, 10000 barrels Of ce-
ment and over 100000 feet of lumber
were used in It's construction, and that
there are over lorty-five miles Of pipes in
and around the buildings. All these
buildings are connected by wide and lofty
corriders, with an aggregate length OF
nearly half a mile. Seven buildings con.
tain the various wards. They are SO ar
ranged that no one can pass from one tc
the other without going into the open air
and the spread of contagious diseases is
practically impossible. The capacity is
400 patients, with supply Of 1000 feet
of air to each patient, which is much lar
ger than any other hospital in the world
The air is changed every fifteen minute:
without any variation Of the temperature
In some wards there are four systems Of
ventilation. The room can be ventilated
and heated from either the ceiling or the
floor, or the wall, or the central shaft
All the furniture is specially constructed
of the finest material. For certain di-
seases are perforated floors, and in most
Of the rooms everything is rounded SO
that unruly patients cannot easily injure
themselves. Each ward has a sun parlor
looking out on Il beautiful park. There
is so much in the institution that one
scarcely knows what TO describe, but one
of its unique and most interesting features
is the nurses home, splendid building
admirably equipped, which is intended
as the best training school for nurses ii
this country. A course Of several year;
will be required before certificate will
be given.