The Detroit times., 1910-01-07

for the hospital now beng prepared
by the architects. Stratton * baldwin,
While the projectors OF the insutu
tion are desirous OF breaking ground
at the earliest possible momenl. they
will accept the advice OF men VINO
have had large experience In such
matters and take plenty OF time IN
formulating their plans. fhey propose
TO start right. even at the cost oi
time. which Is SO precious In these
days when everything Is being sacri-
feed for speed. But at that. actual
construction work will unQuestionabiy ,
be under way before the lend OF the
year. and once started. II Will be
pushed.
One interesting thing the commit
tee learned In its tour was that De-
troit. 30 tar as hospitals are concern
ed. Is not recognized as being on the
map among designers and others IN
-terested In such institutions. In Phil
adeiphia they encountered +. Nj. Day.
until recently president OF the Ameri-
can Institute of. Architects. and the
man whose plans for new hospital
In the District of Columbia were 60
cepted as being the best OF several
sets submitted. Mr.. Day showed he
committee list OF cities in which he
had studied hospitals. and Detroit was
not among them.
This fact was not mentioned by the
committee. however. with any idea OF
speaking disparagingly OF Detroits
present hospital facilities. The Detroit
General hospital was organized Tor
the purpose Of supplying much need
ed want created by the city's wonder
full development. and Its projectors
are determined that the institution
shall represent the most advanced
ideas in hospital construction, man.
agement. treatment, etc. In other
words. they will put Detroit on the
map in a hospital way.
The committee found that the new
Freedmen's hospital. now under con
struction In Washing more nearly
meets the committeey idea Of what
Detroit needs than any other one In.
stitution of those visited. and the local
hospital will be patterned after this
TO some extent. The hospital com
pany has already determined on the
pavilion style-that Is. central ad-
ministration building with hospital
buildings grouped around. all connect.
ed with the central structure. There
will be four of these latter at the
start. two for free patients and two
for pay patients. All windows will be
built flush with the floor to admit OF
open air treatment. The hight OF the
buildings Is one detail that Is yet to
be decided by the trustees. Authori.
ties disagree as to the ideal hight. DIR.
Holmes, OF Cincinnati. says a three.
story pavilion Is the best for all
around purposes. Dr. Howard. OF
Boston. says that one-story pavilion
Is the ideal one from the patients
standpoint.
Another OF Detroit's glaring Idefici-
encies in a medical way which the
eastern tour has brought out Is that
the city has no research laboratory,
outside of the private laboratories of
Parke. Davis & Co.. and other con-
Germs. which, though most complete,
are devoted to private uses. The De-
troit General hospital will also supply
this want. for a research laboratory
will be one Of the leading features OF
the new institution. The committee
obtained some Valuable information
along this line In its inspection ,of the
Rockefeller institute In New York.
Formerly hospitals were built without
laboratories. Now the latter are being
added to all the larger institutions.
while the Rockefeller institute built
the laboratory first and the hospital
afterwards.
The investigating committee COM
prised Drs. w. II. Hutchings, c. G.
Jennings, w. f. Metcalf and II. T..
Stafford and w. B. Stratton. of STRAIT
ton a. Baldwin, architects for the pro-
jectors. They visited "a hospitals in
10 cities, including Cincinnati. Wash
ington. Baltimore. Philadelphia. New
York. Hartford. Springfield. Boston.
Montreal and Toronto. All of these
hospitals except the New JEFFERSON.
Philadelphia. and the Royal Victoria.
Montreal. were either In the course OF
construction or were having additions
built. In the course OF their travels
the committee talked with more than
a dozen men recognized everywhere as
authorities on hospital matters. and
obtained from them many helpful sug-
gestions. DR.. II. b. Howard. of Bos-
ton, recommended to the party man
who in his opinion would make an
ideal superintendent. Negotiations are
now pending with this man and the
committee Is hopeful OF landing him.
IL he accepts. the plans OF the hos
pital will be submitted TO him and he
may possibly come to Detroit to be
on the ground during the construction
period, as his preceptor. DR.. Howard.
is now doing in connection with the
building of Brigham hospital. which is
to be an adjunct of Harvard.
Before the plans are finally approx
ed they will be submitted TO leading
hospital architects for criticism, and
the local architects will go to Europe
to make comparisons.
In the hygienic laboratory OF the
Marine hospital service, Washington.
the committee heard an interesting
lecture on the hookworm disease by
its discoverer, DR.. Stiles. The lec-
ture was for the benefit OF Mr.. and
Mrs. Nathan Straus, OF New York. and
was illustrated with highly interesting
slides.