Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-11-06
DESCRIPTION OF A MODEL HOSPITAL.

Editor The Gazette: | read your
comment on the proposed hospital for
consumptives to be erected by the
Trustees of the State Hospital for the
Insane, and as had the pleasure of a
visit to the Minnequa Hospital of the
Colorado Fuel and Iron Co. of Pueblo,
COL, | thought | might mention
something about it that would in
terest the trustees, as we'll as the
readers Of The Gazette. The hos
pital is for the benefit of the en-
ployes of the company, 17,G00 men
being employed by them, ., 600 of this
number at their plant in Pueblo and
the balance at other places whore they
have extensive plants. Each employe
pays 81 per month to the company, and
il sickness or accident happens to him
or any of his family they are cared for
in this hospital as long as they need
medical attention.
There are l3 buildings of the entire
plant, which were commenced in April,
1901, and completed in the summer of
1902. The style of architecture is that
known as Spanish Mission; the con
struotion is of brick covered with
cement, and tile roof. The ward build
ings are two stories in height, without
basement. There are no stairways, no
elevators, no porches and no bathtubs
or transoms. The entrance to the hos
pital is approached by an inclined
driveway, rising a half-story and
covered by porte oochere. From the
main entrance a patient may be taken
from the ambulance, placed upon
wheel streteher and rolled to any bed
in the building with the least possible
iarring, and without the annoyance of
being carried up stairs or shaken in
any elevator. The inclines do away
with stairs and elevators, and make it
almost as easy to go from one story 10
the next as to walk on the level floor,
the rate of ascent being one foot in six.
The floors are Inonolith--or one stone
a composition of cement, sawdust and
a secret liquid preparation, which
makes it tirep-oof, water-tight, crack
less and, l might say, noiseles5 in
walking through the halls. There are
no porches to obstruct light and air,
and annoy the sick by people con
gregating in front of their windows.
Sunlight and fresh air were carefully
considered and provision made for their
supply without rrsorting to porches.
The ventilation is perfect; the air, hot
or cold, is screened before being forced
into the rooms by fans and drawn out
by similar mechanical devices, and
may be changed in each room in three
minutes, doing away with the neces-
sity of resorting to transoms or win
dows for ventilation, thus preventing
drafts, or impurities from the hall or
outside atmosphere.
The furniture is white enameled
iron; the chairs are supported upon
ball bearing casters and the beds are
made high, out of respect for nurses
backs. The wards are small, as large
ward is thing of the past; if one
groans the rest hear him; if patient
be restless then he disturbs the others.
A certain set of dishes belongs to
each room and this is q comfort to
most patients. There are two bath
rooms on each floor, but no bathtub
into which they tell you the bather
climbs, first washing his feet and then
his face; and they say that the bath
tub will soon be classified with articles
of barbario age. The shower bath is
used; the objection to overhead shower
baths raised by women on account of
wetting their hair is overcome by using
side sprays or by covering the head
too weak to stand shower bath he is
provided with an iron chair, or placed
upon movable rack, upon which rest
movable plates that may be steriiized:
upon these plates the patient is placed
and bathed by an attendant with tenn
pered water brought through hose.
The partitions. in this building are
brick and metallic lath is used to pre-
vent sound travelling from one room to
another. All rooms face north and
south. protecting the patients from the
direct rays OF the sun. AL plumbing is
free from the wall and can be readily
cleaned. Nowhere does sink or pipe
come in contact with the wall, where
germs may hide, and propagate, but is
so arranged that il may be washed
from all sides.
The operating room is lined through
out with sheet lead. 1t is heated by
the indirect system. Screened air is
forced into the room and the air from
the rooms is exhausted by electric fans.
The X Ray and baking machine must be
seen to be appreciated, as q person may
be subjected to 400 or more degrees
Fahrenheit dry air without being
burned.
There are recreation rooms, smoking
rooms and many other things Of interest
that could be mentioned. There are 20
acres of land belonging to the insti-
tuition and the location is ideal. If the
inclines over the stairways and elevators
are worth consideration, it might be
we'll to look into the matter, as think
this is the only hospital in the United
States that has these model features
connected with it.
Theodore F. Armstrong.
Newark, Oct. Both, 1902.