The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-05

nENsHI tH|Hi nan UutluluEs
SEMI1 ii INV And one of these is the
kISz y "a City and County Reeeiy-
AZ n a ing Hospital
k8AMHtl This is a good place
Wy to start, because it is in
the basement. Il is also
the worst ventilated suite OF rooms in the
entire building, if tile Street Superintend-
eBts Offices be excepted.
The latter are a disgrace as regards both
light and ventilation, but the former should
be tended 10 first because here the sick peo-
ple are brought-men and women above all
others in the world who need fresh, pure
air.
Gas is burned down there day and night
whenever light is needed, and single gas
let. Won know, viii consume more oxygen
in given time than dozen men.
Now. there is a way TO yentlate the rooms
Of the Receiving Hospital. Open the doors
and windows on tho patients and Inmates.
That IS tie only way. 1t isnot employed.
The doctors are too sensible for that, and II
they were not tile employees probably wonld
be. for thew prefer even headaches and dys-
pepsia to colds and pneumonia and grip ana
rheumatism, and q thousand other things
which human flesh that has been subjected
TO q draught IS heir 10.
Next TO foul air a draught is the worst. IN
deed it is rather Of an open question which
of these TWO demons has the latest grave
yards.
Font air IS an insldous enemy that steals
away the health unawares. y lille tile drdught
comes on a fiery steed, does his work
openly. quickly and surely, and then
haStens on for another victim
The people at the Receiving h ospital are
either smOthering or chilly. That's the
truth IF It.
often when we have patient on the
OperatInC-tab BILE here" said Dr. Deane 10
CALL man Yesterday, "the air Is so sitting
that / have 70 rush outside once In whlIe
20 catch breath # fresh air.
"Of course when there's patient on the
table, we must have every door and window
shut 20 that no possible breath OF cold air
can strike The subject
And when we d. this and turn on all
the gas lets to get good light, there isn't
enough oxygen left IN the room inside OIL
ten minutes to supply mouse Win the
proper vitality.
"Whue this is very hard on the surgeons
and attendants rs even much worse Tor the
patient Il Is a critical time with him
and a little fresh air. that Is little more
oxygen in the air down here, would mean
much 10 a great many cases We have.
"And It's jus, as bad out in the wards
Low CelltIEs every mere duQ Aic UGAf
means Of ventilation being TO lower or raise
one Of the windows. We don't dare TO do
this. for the windows are so low that the air
from them blows directly over the couches
What we need down here is some good
system of ventilation. l don't care which
one any Of them would make II far more
sanitary than IL is at present.
IT'S fact, do You know, that scarcely
any one gives enough attention 10 the great
need We all have Of fresh all" continued
the doctor
when I 90 into house and see the
children with pale faces and dull eyes l
know that either one Of two things is being
prscticed.
The children DUNK tea and coffee or they
sleep in rooms with closed windsWs. How
ever. that is the parents fault; they are
either too ignorant OF too lazy 10 give their
babies enough fresh air. and growing
child needs constant supply. But here's
different case
A patient is brought ia or comes in of
his own accord Tor treatment. Perhaps the
case is serious, perhaps it IS net. At all
events the patient IS sick.
And while he remains mere he bTeathes an
atmosphere into his lungs that TO put it
very mildly, viii not tend TO strengthen
him.
He comes here TO get well, and even
though he don't stay very long, the atmOs-
pheTe IS calculated for almost anything eX-
cept to facilitate his recovery.
in many cases, such as that Of partial
asphyXiatlOu, the heated and carbOnIZed at
mOspheTe down here is really dangerous TO
the patient.
4 have often thought that If the old quar-
tiers had only been WAitewashed and cleaned
mp bit / should prefer them to these. We
bad tile sun there and ventilation was posi-
be without creating dangerous dTaught.
Tie drainage is splendid here, and we
are very well arranged and fitted up. In
fact you could scarcely imagine place like
this where things were more convenient
for both practitioner and patient.
But it is al spoiled by the lack of venti-
lation. Nothing will recompense for the
loss 0f pure air"
The People who have to work in the dark
and diugy rooms assigned the Street Super
iBtendent and his force are moving heaven
and earth 10 get more sanitary quarters.
rs q little too early yet for the new
administration to show any terrible ex-
smpes in the way OF sick men or funerals"
said The chief clerk 10 IHF CALL man,
though the Lord knows there was ill-health
enough among the members Of the pTeced-
ing administration.
Fresh air? Oh, yes; there's lots Of
fresh air here. | get il in the back Of my
neck all the time; that's why | am wearing
this flannel around my throat and have the
stiff neck.
It's either a draught or a smother down
here. The ceilings are 90 very low that
when you open a window you get the Iull
benefit Of il. And as We have to burn gas
all the time the heat is about insuppoTta bic
when the windows are not open"
There are no transoms over the doors
Of any Of these basement rooms, aud if
there were it would not better matters
much, because the fresh air they would let
In would strike you fairly in the back or
side or somewhere In the shape OF dTaught
every time al opposite door was opened.
And these conditions are true Of the en-
tire basement OF the new City Hall. 10
none of the rooms is there an attempt at
ventilation. The ceilings are all low
necessitating artificial light, and the only
possible way by which breath Of fresh air
can possibly penetrate these lower regions
is By means Of a draught.
The rooms CD the first or main floor of the
new City Hall are about all that could be
asked for Ia the way Of light and means of
yeniilating. The ceilings are very high, so
high, IN fact, that a window may be low
cred enough TO admit fresh air without
causing draft that viii be felt by any one
in the room.
or course, even this state Of affairs could
be improved upon by the introduction of
some automatic method Of ventilat on, and
the sanitary condition Of the rooms would
be improved.
Upstairs, on the second and third floors,
low ceilings prevail except il such cham
beTs as those occupied by the Supervisors
ana by Departments l, 4, and 10 Of the
Superior Court. These rooms occupy two
stories, extending from the second floor to
the roof They are model rooms, or would
be II properly ventilated. They have TWO
rows Of windows. one above the other, aud
could be very easily ventilated.
But, az Iule, most of the rooms Of the
City Hall building are ventilated by the
ianitOrs, which is equivalent to saying that
they are not ventilated at all
Unless some one specially orders 1t the
windows are left tight shut, every one of
them, IN all kinds of weather and upon all
occasions.
The consequence is that even these fine
big rooms become foul Large numbers Of
people assemble in them, and soon tie
oxygen becomes exhausted, and until the
heat gets absolutely unbearable no one in
the room thinks OF raising or lowering a
window.