Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-16
SPACE IS IN DEMAND
Health Departments Needs
in New City Hall.
ESTIMATE SUBMITTED
NEARLY 10000 SQUARE FEET OF
FLOOR SPACE.
DR.. Woodward Maps Out Plans That
Will Give Department Proper
Housing.

of the District today submitted to the
Commissioners his estimate of the space
the health department will require in the
new District building. AS secretary of the
board of medical supervisors DR.. Wood
ward also submitted the estimate of space
for that body. The health department Is
one Of the largest and most important in
the District government It's work is con-
staHtly increasing, and the volume of rec
Ords is continually growing. Dr. Wood
wards recommenda tons are very interest
ing. He says:
The total floor space required by the
health department will be $3.50 square feet,
divided into Q permit office. (2) a record
room for records of births, deaths, etc; t31
isoating rooms, ca a room for the disin-
fecting service, 90 offices for the health Of
ficer, 90 a room for the chief clerk and the
chief Inspector. 90 room for the accom-
mOda ton of the clerical force of the Office,
(s) inspectors rooms. C9) a file room, Q0)
stock room, and Cd rooms for the chemi-
cal and meteorological laboratories.
The Permit Office.
1.-THE permit office should consist of
lobby for the accommodation of the public,
containing 500 square feet, and an office
room proper for the accommodation of
clerks, containing 500 square feet. The
lobby must be so located as to be accessible
to the public either through the main cor
r:dors of the building or directly from the
street, but the means of access should be
arranged so that when the building gener-
ally is closed access to the lobby of the per-
nit office from the main corridors can be
shut off so as to allow entrance from the
street only. There should be a convenient
mode of access from the lobby to the office
of the chief clerk (see paragraph six also
h n he IA f.
ing rooms tsee paragraph three. The lob
by should be well lighted and should pro-
vide ample and convenient desk accommo-
dations for the convenience of the public.
That part of the permit office reserved
for the use of clerks should be separated
from the lobby by a counter large enough
to accommodate three clerks, and should
have other floor space sufficient to accom-
modate not less than three desks. 1t should
communicate by private way with the
office of the chief clerk and the chief in
spector (see paragraph six), and be con-
veniently located with reference to the
room provided for the records of deaths,
etc. (see paragraph two).
"A room containing 1900 square feet for
the records of deaths, births, etc, will be
necessary, located preferably adjacent to
the permit office. 1t should be practically
fireproof, as the records which it is to con-
tain cannot be replaced if destroyed This
room should be arranged so as to afford the
public easy access when necessary.
Isolating Rooms.
Two isolating rooms each containing go
square feet, should be provided for the tenn
porary detention of persons suffering from
contagious diseases should such persons
present themselves al the health depart
ment. These rooms should be located so as
to permit the removal of patients from
other parts of the health department, and
particularly from the permit office, to them
and from them to ambulanccs without UNI
necessary exposure of the patient or dan
ger to the public. Rooms rather larger than
are necessary simply for the purpose of iso-
lation have been specified so as to permit
their use for public vaccination should oc-
caSiOn require.
"One room containing 300 square feet
should be set aside for the use of the en-
ployes in the disinfecting service and for
the storage of disinfectants used by them.
1t should have easy access to the street and
should be well ventilated.
''One general office room containing $50
square feet and private office containing
POO square feet should be provided for the
accommodation of the health officer The
general office should have convenient access
to the chief clerk and chief inspectors
room, as suggested in paragraph six. The
private office should communicate directly
with the main corridors.
''One room containing COO square feet
should be provided for the use of the chief
and the chief Inspector. This room must be
large enough TO PROVIDE Tor the general
transaction of business between these Off
GERS and persons calling at the health de-
partment on routine business. 1t should
communicate by a private way with the
permit office. In it should be located
vault of moderate size for the protection of
such property in the custody of the health
department as may require such care. Com
munication with the health's officers room
should preferably be through a lobby, con-
tanning 30 square feet, large enough to ac-
commOdate the clerk acting as secretary to
the health officer.
General Clerical Force.
"A room containing $50 square feet, ad-
joining the office of the chief clerk and the
chief inspector, should be provided for the
accommodation of the general clerical force
of the department.
Two rooms. each containing $50 square
feet and conveniently located with refer
ence to the office of the chief clerk and the
chief inspector, should be reserved for the
accommodation of the sanitary inspectors,
food inspectors. inspectors of live stock and
dairy farms, weed inspectors, etc
'One hreproof room containing $50 square
feet should be provided for the preservation
of the general records of the health depart
ment.
"A room containing 80 square feet
should be provided for the storage of sta
tionery and other supplies of the health de-
partment.
should be provided for the chemical and
Laboratories.
The accommodations for the chemist
should consist of a general laboratory con-
tanning 600 square feet; a private labora-
tory, containing 200 square feet, and room
for balances and other Instruments con-
tanning $50 square feet. All Of these rooms
should communicate with one another.
There should be a fireproof store room for
chemicals, containing 150 square feet and
communicating with the general laboratory.
A vault should be provided for the safe
Keeping of specimens undergoing analysis
with a view to criminal prosecution or re-
served for evidence after prosecutions have
been brought.
Psychological Laboratory.
The psychological laboratory should
consist Of a general work room, containing
500 square feet; private laboratory. con-
tanning 200 square feet. and store room,
containing $50 square feet. The chemical
and meteorological Laboratories should be
located together. They should have. In
addition to the rooms specified above an
office room, containing $50 square feet, for
the joint use of the chemist and bacteriol-
og1st, In which they could consult with the
public without affording the public access
TO the laboratories. apparatus, etc
For the accommodation of the technical