Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-22
HOSPITAL PLANNED
IN FORM OF SPHERE
,000,000 Structure for
New Method of Treating Dia-
betes Located in Cleveland.
By Consolidated Press.

BY Consolidated Press ..
CLEVELAND, July 21.-The world S
strangest-appearing hospital-sanitarium
IS nearing completion here.
! A million dollars is being expended
in the construction of huge steel
sphere. two cylindrical tanks" and a
sanitarium building for the treatment
of diabetes by the use of oxygen under
increased air pressure.
The money is being furnished by H.
H. Thinker, the roller bearing manu-
facturer of Canton, Ohio. The treat
ment TO be used In the hospital has
been developed by Dr. o. j. Cunning
ham of Kansas City. DR.. Cunning
ham will be In charge of the sanitarium
when it is opened for patients. about
October /.
Layout Causes Comment.
The sanitarium layout has caused a
great amount of comment from Cleve-
landers and from tourists who use Lake
Shore Boulevard as their main route
from Buffalo to Chicago.
Most prominent of the buildings be-
ing erected on the old estate is a great
porthole-studded sphere of steel "a
feet in diameter. This sphere contains
five stories. The first story contains a
dining room, the fifth lounge. The
| intermediate three floors are devoted to
private rooms, each with private bath
and toilet facilities. There are 38 of
these private rooms. An elevator gives
easy access TO all rooms and the lounge.
Near the steel sphere are two other
! steel structures, termed tanks" by
those in charge of the development
These tanks are, respectively. IS feet
and rs feet long. Each is is feet in
! diameter. The tanks are intercon-
nected and connected with the sphere
and with the sanitarium- hotel build
/ ing by system of air locks, somewhat
/ like those used In caisson and tunnel
j work, where workers are subjected IT,
! increased or diminished pressure pre-
! paratory TO going TO or coming from
/ work.
| In the tanks" are living quarters
| laid out somewhat like Pullman cars,
| Accommodations are provided in the
| tanks" for q patients.
| The hotel-sanitarium building Is
! three stories high and contains IL
/ rooms.
/ While DR.. Cunningham. who has an
enviabie reputation in Kansas City as
q physician, has been reticent about
| the treatment. 1t is known that the
patients will enter the sanitarium much
! as II they were week end guests at 4
club. The treatment will depend Oh
| the individual case. In the sphere the
| treatments will last about week with
the patient living IN an atmosphere
which has been scrubbed. de-humidi-
fed. cooled or heated, treated with
oxygen and introduced into the sphere
at pressure of some 800 pounds above
ordinary atmospheric pressure,
The patient will eat, rest and sleep
In this extra-normal pressure for n
length OF time dependent on the sever
ity of the case.
Theory of Treatment.
Attendants will lock themselves
through the air locks and live In their
quarters under normal pressure in their
off duty hours
1t is expected that, when the sani-
tarium Is opened, DR.. Cunningham, will
make public an outline of his treat"
ment. The treatment, according To
Cleveland medical men, seems to be
based on the hypothesis that diabetes
is caused by a living organism which
will not grow In an atmosphere high
In oxygen,
According to those close to MIR
| Timken, the roller bearing millionaire
became interested In the Cunningham
treatment after friend had gone to
Kansas City and had been treated for
diabetes In small tank the doctor had
| in4 his yard. Thorough investigation of
| the method convinced Thinker that the
| treatment could be conducted ON a
| larger scale, and the financial assist
| ance necessary, reported To be 81 .000,-
900, was forthcoming
tcopyrtght 1927