Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-01-06
A TOUR rHRouGH rnE HOSPITAL

work OF the Large Institution |
which 10 IN Charge Of Superlnsend-
ens northumberland the sick are
Cared for BY she Corps OF Nurses,
Doctors and Assissants-The New
Farnam Ward.
OF the many great institutions of Connecti-
cut, perhaps the State hospital and the details
Of it's work are as little known as any.
Although everyone has some interest, more
or less, in the institution, but few compar-
atively have ever visited it; or, if they
have, the system of its work as carried out
by Superintendent Starkweather has not
been fully explained.
The house staff of doctors is composed of
three members, the house surgeon, the
house physician and his assistant. When |
person applies for admission to the in-
stitution, the applicant is examined by one
of the first two, who is, so to speak, the
officer of the day. The surgeon and pbysi-
clan fill this position upon alternate weeks.
The examination Ia for the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether the applicant may be ad-
mitted or not. All cases of infections or
contagious diseases necessarily have to be ex-
cluded from the building. If the ap-
pSan is fond sSs ae to be qualified ID.
notification to the head nurse to this
effect, stating also whether the patient must
be given q bath or not before he Is put |
to bed. The nurse sees that this order is |
executed and assigns the applicant to a
bed in one of the wards.
There are now six wards in the institution,
in addition to which there are seven or
eight private rooms and these are for people
who have means to pay for better accommoda-
tions than the routine of the hospital supplies.
They are all very neat and cosy. They are
usually, nearly all occupied. Many of them
are hired by students who cannot receive
proper care at their boarding houses when
sick. They are situated side by side, on the
second floor of one of the old wings of the
building.
The greater part, in fact all of the large
wards, are in the new additions to the origi-
nal building. This was built in 1888, just
seven years after the State Hospital society
received it's charter. It is the wing extend
ing west from the north end of the building
and in it are the superintendent's offices, the
apothecary's headquarters, the library and
meeting rooms of the medical board, the
chapel of the institution in which services
are held every Sunday morning, the head
quarters and apartments of the house staff,
the main reception room, the dining rooms
| used by the nurses and other apartments
used mainly by the administrative part of
pleasant house occupied by. Superintendent
Starkweather and family. 4
The school of nurses, which occupies
large building adjoining the hospital build
ing is an important factor in the hospital
work although in itself 1t is not part of
the institution. The nurses building
fronts on Sylvan avenue and was built upon
ground given by the Hospital society. The
cost of the structure, however, and also the
expense of maintaining the school I5ot
met by the society but is obtaised BY sub
scriptions, donations, endOwments and other
means. The school is an admirable one
Between thirty six and forty young ladies
are regular members of it. Before being adj
mltted, they have to serve one month upon
appreciation. After this they remain in the
hospital one year as nurses and then serve
i've months more in outside work before
they are wholly qualified for their profess
sion. In this manner large number of them
k'are continually employed in practical work
about the several wards. There are now
| oue-hundred patients in the institution and
| to administer to the wants of this number,
there are twenty-nine nurses. They are all
| wholesome, neat, pleasant, quiet girls and
show much skill in the performance of their
duties. They dress in plain, usually black,
| costumes and wear neat white muslin caps,
white aprons and white oversleeves.
The main building of the Hospital, that
extending parallel to Congress avenue, was
built in 1878 and contains nearly every i'm
provement and convenience which would be
desired in an Institution of the kind. Its
wards are models of neatness and are kept
in the best of order by Superintendent
Stark weather's many assistants. A de-.
scription of one of them applies equally to
all, for every ward is built upon the same
plan.
In the Bronson ward, upon the first IGOR of
the new building, there are sixteen beds.
This ward was given by DR.. Bronson. Each
ward is in charge Of a nurse who is appoint
ed every four months by the superintendent
of nurses. Beside assigning work in the
Hospital. the superintendent Of nurses also
assigns those who have served their year in
the institution to outside nursing work.
The cots in the wards are set at intervals of
two or three yards apart along both sides of
the room. Each has q number over the
entrance is small cabinet in which are
apartments numbered to correspond with
the numbers of the beds and in these apart
ments are kept the medicines which have
been prescribed for the patients of the
ward. The key to this cabinet is given to
the nurse in charge of the ward and it is one
of her duties to give each patient his proper
medicine. At the opposite end of the wards
are two doors. One, usually that to the
left, leads to the bath room and toilet room
Of the ward. This is used by those patients
who are able to arise from their beds and GO
to the regular table for their meals. The
door at the right leadssto the laboratory and
other apartments and also to a spacious fire
escape which is kept lighted all through
the night.
The ventilation in the wards ia good. A
new system was introduced a few years age
in place of the usual means of low register
for hot air and high one for cold air. The
fresh hot air is now admitted through regis
tiers placed about ten feet high upon the
J walls. Under each bed is peculiar metal
| 10 apparatus connecting with a cold all
fue. Through this apparatus there is 6
constant current from within out. This car
ries off all of the bad air which may have
:. spread about the room. One great advan.
tage is also in having 1t beneath the bee
! where most of the impure air would be
formed.
, just outside of the entrance to the ward,
: are the dining rooms. Printed schedules
are tackled up in the dining rooms on which
} is the bill of fare for each day of the week
{ This is strictly followed. 1t is arranged By
the medical directors and is plain, nutritious
and good. Another card which is alst
tackled up beside the first one is inscribed
with the special diet which each patient il
allowed in addition to the regular bill o
fare. This contains great number o
things, but the principal one is milk. TIL
doctors order milk very freely TO
. theiz patients. Opposite the dininl
rooms of the Bronson ward is a medium
sized room, with one cot in it. This room
! is used for special examination of men.
v is also used for general electrization treat
ment. In 1t is an electric battery of sixt,
cslls given by Richard Fellows. This can b
psed in both processes of electrization an,
q very valuable piece of apparatus. o.
pc floor above il another room of the sam
nd which is for the examination and cleo
! zation of women. It is furnished with
terry precisely similar to that of the roof
I, pw. This il also gift of the same donor
bother of the small rooms at the en-
a be of each ward is reserved for the cloth
she the patients confined in that ward
y i'll another contains all of the bed lin
~ .s ~ for the ward.
USE ,e surgical ward upon the second foo
:. fnty-two beds, all of which are sur
Nv it'll patients. In this are the sufferer
. dden accidents which result in broke
ou st proken legs and the like. One of th
o o.:a,.s lie little fellow with bright blac
as.on's ose right arm has been amputate
~, ~ We the elbow. His home is in Sey
. ass ~ his sad injury is the work of
= oh,na which caught the little fellow
.ao fore arm and crushed it frightfu
: anu ~ sn = now doing finely. When the sui
a., .s.;s pksbecome convalescent they al
.us. pSs' 3. pm. the surgical to another depar
oant r,o :. the third floor.
IT,. ~. -, en and children's wards are a
bond floor. One of the most IL