St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-11-09
OUR LONDON LETTER.
Hospitals and Sight Seeing In London interest
ingIy Described by st. Johnsbury Doctor.
1oasresnondence of the c AI.RpoNIANl.

Editor CALIFORNIAN:
In my former letter | think said
would write your readers some
thing about the London hospitals as
compared with our own. After
seven weeks walking the hospitals"
as they say here, find it exceedingly
difficult to carry out my purpose, be-
cause in many respects the hospitals
here differ so greatly from ours that
it is impossible to compare them
with any fairness whatever.
In the first place the modern hos
pitfalls, in the strictest sense OF the
word, are not common, most OF the
buildings being time-honored land
marks which were great in their day
and in no way can be made modern.
Such for instance are Guys, The Uni
yersity. Westminster, London and
Others which might be mentioned.
The University are now building
new two million dollar building
which should be the finest in the
world because it is built last All OF
these older buildings contain some
new wards and operating rooms,
which make them of value to the
community and are therefore kept
open.
At Middlesex hospital, which was
built in 1745, two months repairs
this last summer have introduced a
change in everything except the
height of the wards. They now pos
sess the best amphitheatre in Lon
don, the walls and foor being. entire
ly of thing. The air which enters this
room when the surgical clinics are
in progress, is all filtered. The wash
basins are arranged so that the flow
OF water is turned on and off with
the foot. The light is from a large
skylight, and all in all it is the best
operating room in the city. This
hospital has upon its staff some of
the best men in London. Mr.. Nor
ris, an authority on surgery of the
kidney, Mr.. Gould and Mr.. Clark,
two of the best general surgeons and
Sir Douglass Powell and DR.. Coup
land on the medical side. This in
stitution has in connection 9 pros
porous school for medical students.
London Hospital situated in the
Whitechapel district is one of the
very old buildings, but has been for
tunate in having large endowment
fund, has been remodeled from time
to time and is now in very good con-
dition. The "lion" on the staff here
is Mr.. Frederic Treves, the best
known man in London. He certain
ly is very skilful operator but there
are many more equally as good.
They have large emergency bust
ness due to the location in the
"Whitechapel district" This dis
.trict by the way compares favorably
with the Eastside in New York al
though they say it is still a very
tough place in any of the numerous
alleys and side streets. But it is the
name and not the appearance of the
main street, which makes man
button up his coat and hurry along.
At the University Hospital we find
another old building which constant
scrubbing keeps very clean. Here
the special attraction is Victor
Horsely, the most famous man in
the world in surgery of the brain.
Mr.. Horsely and his colleague Mr..
Charles Balance have done more for
this branch of medicine than any
other men. He is an expert opera
tor as are also the venerable Chris
TOPPER Heath, Mr.. Barker and Mr.
Gadlee. DR.. Ringer and DR.. Rob
erts, both authors of wide reputa
ton are on the medical staff and q
ward visit with either one is a visit
to be remembered. At old West
minister we find a splendid staff com
posed of Doctors Allchin, Dorkin ant
Hall on the medical and Mr.. Bond
Mr.. Spencer and Mr.. Stonham OF
the surgical side. This hospital en-
joys the distinction Of being the onl,
one in London to conduct seperat
department for orthopa lie surgery
This is in charge Of Mr.. o. H. Tubb,
a very competent man. He has don
some very brilliant work in this lin
and many poor London child i
relieved of a deformity at his hands
Charing Cross Hospital is still
another ancient affair but we'll cor
Quoted and somewhat modernized
St. Georges is the most pleasant
located, except perhaps St. Thorn