Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-05-23

NC. MAY %, 1893.
pose are obtained. and when secured will
not only add TO the convenie nee Of the hospi-
tai, but will contribute materially to its
usefulness by enabling it to maintain u
Larger force of nurses, thus providing the
necessary care for an increased number of
patients.
In the two decades since ii Was founded.
the Maine General Hospital has afforded
treatment to between six and seven thou
sand patients. the greater part
of whom have been restored
10 health. Every county in the State is
generously represented in the list-among
them old Kennebec, upwards of 500 of
whose citizens have undergone treatment
there.
A surprising thing in connection with
this institution is its remarkably low desth
rate, the average of which, from the start,
has been only six per cent. When We con-
slider the hundreds Of difficult and danger
Gus operations annually performed there
by the staff surgeons, the large number Of
many difficult diseases of long standing af-
forded medicinal treatment, we can appre-
ciate somewhat the strong testimony. " hich
this
Low Death Rate
bears to the efficiency of the hospital man
agement, and to the skill of its able staff of
| physicians and surgeons.
Turning NOW from tho history anil vast
achievements of the hospital, it may be of
interest to consider, briefly, the conditions
under which its work is done, and the every
day life of its patients. In this connection
short description of the buildings will not
be out of place. As has already been indi-
Gated in this article. these consist of a cen
trail building, adjoining northeast and
southwest pavilions. and an ampitheatre.
To these there are connected, by "a corridor,
kitchen, laundry, and an engine room.
There is also pest house. at some distance
from the other buildings, which, fortunately,
there has been no occasion to use for
number of years past. The central build
ing is four stories high. II contains, on
the first floor, the superintendent's Office
and reception room, the dispensary, and
rooms for the house doctors. A large
elevator also runs from this building, en-
abling patients to be carried easily to any
of its floors. A description of one
of the payilions will give general
idea of both. 1t is l45 feet long, and con
sists of main portion, which is central,
and two wings, one at each end. The cen
trail part of the second story is occupied by
the main ward, eighty feet long, thirty feet
wide and fifteen feet high. 1t is arranged
for twenty beds, ten on a side, and affords
each patient 1900 cubic feet of room
There are six double hung windows on each
side. which run nearly to the floor, thus
giving patients opportunity TO look out
For each bed there is a veniilating register
and an electric light. Every two beds
have heating register. In the
wing toward the central building are two
small wards for patients whom it is desira-
Bile to separate from the rest; ward
kitchen for cooking and warming little
dishes for the patients; a sitting and dining
room, for convalescents who are able to
leave their beds a portion Of the day; a
water closet and stairway. In the other
wing are lavatories and water closet; one
separate ward bath room; drying closet
and stairway. The third story is n dupll-
cate of the second. In the lower story the
rooms are l3 feet high, those in the wings
corresponding precisely with the rooms i'm
mediately above.
At the back of the central building, and
connecting with it by a closed corridor. is
the large hospital kitchen where practically
all the cooking is done. II is very neat
and is kept thoroughly equipped with the
latest and most approved culinary appara-
tus. Still further back, and entirely dis
connected, is the laundry and adjoining it
is brick building containing the boiler and
engine rooms. The main chimney shaft,
is one hundred feet high.
The basement of the ampitheatre con
tains number of rooms, now occupied
by nurses. These, when nurses
home is built, will, with number OF other
apartments, become available for general
hospital use, thus largely increasing its
ability to care for patients. On the floor
above is a reception room etherizing room
bath room; a small ward for the temporary
accommodation of patients while recover
ing from the effects of ether, and last, the
operating room.
There is no more important object to be
attained, in u well equipped hospital, than
Thorough Ventilation.
As is well said in one of the earlier reports
''Exhalations ever arising from the bolie,
of the sick, and especially from diseased
and decaying tissues, soon contaminate the
air, and, unless speedily removed by a1e
quate appliances, exert a deleterious effect
upon all exposed to their influence" II
was the great good fortune of the Maine
General Hospital to have, as its founders
men of conspicuous ability and breadth of
view. They laid its foundations with an
eye to its future growth and efficiency
They thoroughly appreciated the importance
of securing the best possible hygienic condi-
tions. This purpose was kept clearly in view
at every stage of construction. As re.
suit the wards were built in accordance
with the most advanced principles of heat
and ventilation known to hospital architec-
ture. The general wards are supplied with
four open fire places-one in each corner.
There are also open fire places in most OF
the private rooms. In addition to these,
there is, as has already been noted, ven
tilating register to each bed. At every win
dow sill is a patent arrangement for admit
ting pure air to the room, without, in Any
degree, subjecting patients to a drauglt.
With these facilities the entire vol
ume of atmosphere in the warl-
may be renewed every twenty minutes. To
this fact is undoubtedly due, in no small de-.
gree. the good results that have very gener-
ally attended treatment at the hospital, and
the absence of blood poisoning
Next IN Importance to the ventilation of
a hospital, are its
Heating Arrangements.
The wards of the Maine General Hospital
are heated from hot air chambers ia thu
basement. The air enters tn sc chambers
from the outside Of the building. IL is
thoroughly heated by a series of hot steam
pipes and then passes into the various
wards Of the hospital, where an
an even temperature of seventy degrees i.
carefully maintained. 1t will thus be seen
that the heaiog apparatus of the hospital is
made to play very important part in its
ventilation. Four tubular sixty FIVE horse
power boilers supply the power and heat for
the institution. Soft coal and screenings
are used for fuel. A saving of twenty FIVE
per cent. in the amount Of fuel consumed
is made by the use of an Otis Feed Water
Heater and Purifier. By means Of this the
exhaust steam is made to heat the feed wa
ter b. fore it enters the boilers. BY it, also,
the sediment is quickly removed from the
feed water, and the condensation and oil
from the exhaust is collected and carried off
Another important feature of the hospi-
tal that contributes materially to the wei
ware Of its inmates. Is its
Fine Water Supply.
This supply comes from an artesan well