The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-10
A Party Made Up of Members of
the City Council Conducted
Over the Institution by PhySi-
clans and Trustees
NEED OF IMPROVEMENTS
SHOWN CITY FATHERS
New Contagious Disease Ward,
an Addition to the Kitchen and
More Appliances and a Better
Arrangement of 0ut-Patient
Department Desired

Department Desired
| Members of the City Council who
| took part in the annual inspection of
the City Hospital yesterday had an OPP
portunity of observing existing con-
| ditions at the institution and listening
| to the plans of the board of trustees
for further improvements at the insti-
ution. A new contagious disease ward
| to cost $4,000, an addition to the kitch-
en- with more adequate culinary appli-
ances, to cost $4,000 and a better ar
rangement for the out-patient depart
ment were the principal needs of the
| institution called to the attention of
| the party.
1t has been several years since the
| City Council as a body inspected the
| hospital, and at the close of the after
noon the opinion of City Council mem
| bers and members of the board of
| trustees was that an inspection of the
| sort should be conducted at least once
year. DR.. Thomas H. Gage, president
| of the board of trustees, stated that
the hospital was open for inspection at
| all times and he hoped members of the
| City Council would avail themselves
at any time of an opportunity to in
spect the institution.
The hospital was gone over in de-
| tail. The new laundry, heat, light and
Home for Nurses and finally the wards
of the hospital were visited. At the end
| of the trip there was but one opinion
| and that that the afternoon had been
most profitably passed
| Those of the City Council party were
| Mayor Philip ]. O'ConneH, Alderman
| Wilhelm G. Lichtenfels, H. Augustus
| Harrington and Louis ]. Kendall;
| Councilmen Frank L. Dean, George n.
White, Emil zaeder, Clarence D. Mix
| ter. George NJ. Wright, John j. Power.
| Nelson H. Davis, Julian F. Bigeiow,
| Louis J. Terrill, James P. Crosby, Will
liam ]. Bragg and Joseph P. Morris
| sey
The party left City Hall about 8
o'clock and on arrival at City Hos
pital was met by DR.. Thomas II.
Gage DR.. Albert Wood. Charles F.
| Mann, Col. Samuel E. Winslow, Hon.
| Henry A. Marsh, and Henry F. Harris
of the board of trustees, and Superin-
! tendent Charles A. Peabody, M. D. The
| inspection began at the new laundry
and power plant incidentally the city
| fathers were shown the buildings and
| land at 81 and 621a Chandler Street
which the trustees wanted to purchase
| for the purpose of establishing a more
tup-to-date out-patient department.
The buildings are located within a
| few feet of the power plant and 1t
was evident that # certain members
| of the council had understood the sit
uation the result might have been diff
| ferent when the city had chance to
| buy the property for $1,000. The boiler
| and engine room and electric light
| plant were visited and then came a
trip through the underground regions
where the piping and other details
/ necessary in connecting up the new
heating plant We're self evident. A
short stop was made at the nurses
home during which members had a
chance to look over the arrangement
of the building where 50 nurses have
quarters, a great majority enjoying
the privilege Of a room of their own.
Continuing the inspection the party
went on through the subway to the
hospital buildings roper. And before
leaving the basement the city fathers
were shown the system by which fresh
air is drawn in over coils of steam
pipes and forced through the respective
wards while still another system of
fans sucks out the foul air which hangs
near the floor of the different rooms.
There is a nice thermostat arrange
ment in connection which regulates the
flow of cold air automatically and pro-
videS a uniform temperature at all
! times in all parts of the institution.
! The out-patient department struck
! the visitors as rather out of keeping
] with the rest of the institution. This
! is one of the features which the trus-
| tees desire to improve and for which
! they requested the purchase of land on
/ Chandler Street in location which
would be easily accessible from the car
lines. When it is taken into consider
alton that between 1900 and 400 cases
per month are treated by the out
patient department it would appear
that better facilities should obtain
The party was taken out of doors and
shown the old smallpox ward which
has been dismantled since the smallpox
cases were taken from the hospital a
few months ago. The trustees recon-
mend that the building which was
originally a stable, and the old laun-
dry plant near by be destroyed and that
a new isolated ward be erected at an
estimated cost of $4,000. Dr. Peabody
| explained that aside from what are
strictly termed contagious diseases
there are many other cases which
should be removed from the wards or
rooms of the institution proper. Cases
of erysipelas, cancer and other cases
would come under treatment in the
proposed ward.
While the party were viewing the To-
cation a suggestion was made that
there was plenty of land, now owned by
the city and that an out-patient de-
partment might be erected on the hos
pital grounds without going to addi-
i tiOnal expense for land.
| In the kitchen ii was pointed out that
additional facilities are necessary.
Steam tables urns for coffee and tea
and adequate means of serving food In
different parts of the hospital are badly
needed. The average population of the
institution is 215.2 and the necessity for
better facilities was apparent Some
plan for cold storage is also advocated
| The inspection closed with a view of
the medical and surgical wards. The
Winslow surgery, splendidly appointed
4 in every detail, is one of the most in
/ teresting features of the institution
The operating room proper, the instru-
ment cabinets which are absolutely
! dust proof the arrangement for steril-
izing and the departments above where
a force is kept steadily at work on
! bandages and other articles used in
surgery and care of the sick were in
Ispected with no small degree of in
Iterest.
The inspection was over shortly be-
1 fore $50 o'clock when the party as
| sembled in the reception room and cof
/ fee was served. DIR. Gage made a
short address in which he expressed the
1 pleasure Of the trustees at having so
many members of the City Council
present. He invited inspection at any
time. Mayor O'COnnell replied
DIR. John T. Duggan will address
members Of the Grade Eight Club. in