Rock Island Argus., 1908-09-17
HOSPITAL IS
NEARLY READY
New Building of Institution al
Watertown Mill be Dedi-
Gated in October.
IS FOR THE WATER CURE
Structure Is Equipped With Costly
Hydrotherapeutic Apparatus
Cost About $15o,ooo.

Some time the latter part of October,
or possibly the first of November, a
new building at the Watertown hospi-
tai Is to be dedicated 1t is expected
that Governor Deneen will be here to
participate in the exercises of the day.
although definite arrangements have
not been made as yet by DR.. w. f..
Taylor, the superintendent. The build
ing is practically completed now, and
workmen are busy installing the heat
ing apparatus, the furniture, and cer-
tain fixtures. 1t will be at least a
month before the building will be
ready for occupancy.
Is Main Hospital.
This new building of the state is to
be the main hospital of the institution,
and will be used for the treatment of
those inmates of the institution who
are suffering from physical as we'll as
mental diseases. 1t will also be the
inflrmary of the institution. About 200
patients can be accommodated in this
building, and it is stated that the build
ing will be filed almost as soon as it
is ready for use.
In charge of this department will be
Dr. A. N. Bollear. who has devoted
years of study to the hydrotherapeutic
system of treatment, and is an expert
in this work. He will have under him
able assistants, and there will be no
attendants in the hospital except these
assistants and experienced trained
nurses. The hydrotherapeutic, or wa
ter cure, system is the most modern
idea of medical science. and there is
no Institution in the country better
equipped with the special apparatus re-
quired for this treatment than is the
tenn has been in use to very limited
degree at the Kankakee hospital, but
the state has never until this year in
stalled such extensive apparatus.
Baths of All Kinds.
"a patient may be given here any
medical bath used in any institution in
the United States" one of the mem
bers of the staff stated In fact, there
is a whole floor in one wing devoted
to the special bath apparatus. This
includes sprays, cabinets, and douches,
installed at a cost of $4,000.
The apparatus includes the controller
table, needle spray, and rain douche,
perineal, sitZ bath, shampoo table,
sheet warming oven, electric light cab
met, not air cabinet, electric full bath,
irrigation table, sectional massage ta-
bic. continuous baths, each with con-
troller table, and a pack sink. There
are also 12 private bath rooms, and
each ward has a wide living room at
the south, designed to furnish a sun
bath for the inmates.
Building Is FireproOf.
The building itself is constructed on
the very latest plans, 1t is as nearly
fireproof as the builders art can make
it, even the stairways being of con
crete. The building alone has cost the
state nearly $125,000, and the total
cost, when the equipment is completed
will be about $150,000. When it is
ready for use the Watertown hospital
will be as thoroughly equipped as any
in the United States, and possibly il
the world.
The new structure has many Other
features in addition to the water cure
system 1t contains fine laboratory
for research work, morgue and small
chapel rooms for use where funera
services are held at the hospital. The
building is equipped with elaborate