THE NEW CITY ISOLATION HOSPITAL.

In June, 1895, the original hospital plans were submitted to a committee of experts, composed of Dr. JOHN B. HAMILTON, Consulting Hygienist of the DEPARTMENT, Chairman; Dr. A. C. COTTON, City Physician; Dr. E. GarROTT, Chief of the Division of Contagious Diseases, and the ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, Dr. F. W. REILLY. Under instructions their labors resulted in a modification of the original design, which effected a material reduction in the estimated cost-this reduction being deemed necessary on account of the straitened financial condition of the city.

As shown by the frontispiece and the accompanying plans and illustrations, the new hospital occupies a block 600 feet square, bounded by Thirth-fourth street, Lawndale avenue, Thirty-fifth street and Hamlin avenue. The grounds are inclosed by an iron fence six feet high.

In planning the institution the idea worked upon was to provide a hospital which would have a normal capacity of about 50 contagious-disease patients, but which should have such administration accommodations for physicians and nurses and such kitchen, laundry, heating and lighting facilities that nothing would be required, in the event of an epidemic, save the speedy erection of temporary wards to expand the capacity to. 500 or 600 patients; as many of these wards as may be necessary can be added whenever required, and are provided for in the plan adopted.

The construction of the main hospital buildings, constituting the administrative part of the hospital, is substantial and permanent. The foundations are stone, the upper walls brick, the roofs tile, and the floors steel beam and hollow tile arch construction. The walls and ceilings are hard plaster, painted; the flooring is hard maple, with marble floors in bath rooms, etc., and the interior finish is oak.

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The corners and angles of plastering and trimmings are rounded and made smooth, to afford as few lodging places as possible for dust and microbes.

Referring to the plans it will be seen that building "A," the administration building, has living, sleeping and office accommodations for physicians and male nurses; also sleeping rooms for attendants. The basement contains a steam laundry, with a brass washer and disinfector, extractor, mangle, tubs, drying coils and ironing room.

Building "B" is the nurses' headquarters.

The main kitchen, supplied with steam-cooking apparatus, cold-storage rooms, etc., is in the basement. Food is carried through the

basement corridors on dumb waiters to the ward buildings. These basement corridors serve also for runways for water and steam pipes, electric wires, etc.

The main group of buildings is heated by steam throughout from the central plant in boiler house, next to building "B." Hot water and electric light are supplied from the same source. In this connection it may be noted that the ward buildings are heated by an indirect steam coil and air-duct system which supplies fresh air constantly and is regulated as to temperature by automatic control.

Building "C" contains the dispensary, laboratory, quarters for physicians on duty, and toilet rooms.

Building "D" is a complete hospital in itself; and with its separate wards, was intended, in the event of the whole institution being needed for smallpox patients, to become a detention building, where doubtful cases could be cared for until a positive diagnosis may be made.

Building "E" is the main ward building, and is divided into separate wards for men and women, the wards for men occupying the south half and those for women the north half of the building. When convalescents are ready to be discharged they descend to the basement, receive a medicated bath, step into an adjoining room, where their disinfected clothing awaits them, and then go directly outdoors without danger of re-infection or of carrying contagion away with them or their belongings.

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Building "F" contains stalls for fourteen horses, carriage rooms for ambulances, hearse, etc., sleeping and bath rooms for drivers and employes and rooms for hay and grain storage. This building is heated from the boiler which supplies steam to the disinfecting chamber in Building “C."

Building "G" is the disinfector, divided into two parts by a brick partition, the only communication being through a double-shell steel cylinder, which is built into the partition. Clothing, on galvanized iron racks, can be rolled into one end of the five-foot cylinder, disinfected either by dry heat or by direct steam, and then taken out in the other half of the building, where storage space, with lockers, shelves, etc., is provided for a large amount of clothing.

Building "H" is the morgue. It has cement floors, and the walls and ceiling are of Portland cement on metal lath. Light and ventilation are from the roof, and every opening is covered with fine copper gauze screening. Special facilities for post mortem examinations are provided.