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Operation-room, in the third story, museum, ditto, small apartments near the operation-room, for the patients operated on, ditto Baking-rooms and larders, in the cellar

Bathing-rooms in the basement story of the west wing

Room for deputy-steward and his wife, in ditto

Cells for lunatics in the west wing
Ditto, in the east -

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Wards for sick and wounded in the

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The square ground plot, on which the hospital stands, is 396 feet in width, and 468 feet in length, containing about four acres. It is enclosed by a brick wall, with an iron palisade in its front. It is surrounded by fine rows of lofty sycamore trees, and the grounds are well laid out in a beautiful garden behind, and grass plots and hedges in front. There is a vacant square to the east, and half a square on the west, making together above six acres. These squares lay across eighthstreet on the east, and ninth-street on the west, parallel to the lines of the hospitalenclosure. Besides these, there are three vacant squares on the south side of pinestreet, opposite the hospital, which belong to this institution; so that every be nefit that arises from airiness of situation is insured to this hospital. The other half square, on the west, belongs to the Alms-House, and it is intended to be kept open; so that the Pennsylvania hospital may be said to stand in the middle of several great squares, which, without including the open streets, contain more than thirteen acres.

This institution was founded by the contributors in the year 1752, for the relief of lunatics, and the sick poor of Pennsylvania. These contributors are such persons as have paid into the hospital fund the sum of 10 pounds, or upwards. "They have perpetual succession, with the pow er to elect twelve managers, a treasurer, and all other officers of the institution, and to make rules and regulations for the government of the household. They may receive and take the lands, hereditaments, and tenements, not exceeding the yearly value of one thousand pounds, of the gift, alienation, bequest, or devise, of any person or persons whomsoever, and of any goods and chattels whatsoever: Provid. ed, that no general meeting of the contri

The contributors have vested the managers with the authority to establish the mode of admitting and discharging patients, and the terms upon which they are to continue in the hospital; also to elect the medical and other officers of the institution.

They admit as many other poor patients (after the established number of paupers, supported by the capital stock, are admitted) as they can agree to take upon reasonable rates. The fund arising from the profits of the board and nursing of such patients is appropriated to the same uses as the interest money of the public stock. The overseers of the poor of Pennsylvania, and its religious societies, pay three dollars per week for each patient. Those of other states pay four dollars; private patients, residents of Pennsylvania, from three and a half to six dol. lars; those of other states, from four and an half to eight dollars.

The anatomical museum contains a collection of dried preparations-castings in plaster of Paris of the gravid uterus-two wax models of the human body-pictures representing the blood vessels, the fœtus in utero, &c &c. in crayons, the gift of Dr. John Fothergill, of London; together with many valuable préparations in spirits. Every stranger, or visitor, pays one dollar for admission into this museum. Students, who have taken a ticket to attend the practice of the house, are, however, admitted without any extra charge.

The medical library consists of about 3000 volumes of well chosen books. To this number has lately been added, the whole of the botanical, natural, and historical works, from the library of the late Professor Barton.

The library and museum are supported and enlarged by the fund accruing from the money paid by students to attend the hospital, which is 10 dollars per annum each. This fund amounts to a yearly income of above two thousand dollars, the number of students who take tickets being usually between two and three hundred.

The managers, the physicians, the surgeons, and the contributors, serve the institution gratuitously. Persons, however, who are able to do it, are at liberty to remunerate the attending physicians and surgeons as they would in private houses.

Every private patient has the liberty of choosing any one of the physicians of the hospital to attend him, whom he prefers. The amputation of a limb cannot be performed, without a consultation and agreement of the three surgeons of the house; and in no case without the consent of the patient.

No medical man can be elected a phy. sician or surgeon of the hospital, who is under twenty-seven years of age.

The sitting managers meet on Wednes. day and Saturday mornings of every week, to admit and discharge patients.

Between these periods, the patient desiring admittance must apply to the attending physician or surgeon, and obtain his certificate that he is a proper subject for admission. This is carried to one of the sitting managers, who takes the usual security, and orders his admission.

Overseers from the country, who bring a patient for admission, are obliged to have a certificate, signed by two magistrates, signifying that they are in office, and that the pauper belongs to their district.

Persons, with infectious diseases, are not admitted. Incurables are not admitted, except lunatics. All cases of sudden accident are admitted without form or charge, if brought within 24 hours after they have happened.

The capital stock of this hospital amounts to 124.854 dollars. The real estate consists of vacant lots surrounding the hospital area, &c. &c.

The officers of the institution are as follow :

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Hints and Propositions suggested to the Managers of that Institution, for the better ventilation of the Wards, and improving some of the internal arrangements.

Ably conducted as is this institution, systematic as is its internal police, and salutary as are its general regulations, there is, nevertheless, room for amendment and reform. It may not be amiss to suggest a few improvements, which I think would render this hospital more complete. I would propose,

1st. That all the wards in the east and west wings (I mean the buildings which front east and west) should be ventilated by means of air-ducts in some one corner of each ward, communicating externally. These wards have no contrivance for ventilation.

2d. That the long wards of the building that joins the centre to the east wing should be furnished with four or six ventilators in the window sashes, to render the ventilation of those wards more perfect.

3d. That an air-duct should be introduced into the entry of each story of the west building, that contains the cells for lunatics, which air-ducts should be ten or twelve feet in length, so as to pass through the corner cells of each story, and communicate with the external air; these air-ducts should be introduced alternately in the north and south walls, from the lower story.

4th. That a communication should be made between the lower entry and that

of the ground-floor, by gratings similar to those in the entries of the second and third stories. This could easily be done, by removing the boards covering the openings that appear to have been originally left. Though I have before remarked that this part of the hospital is uncommonly well ventilated, yet these alterations and additions would, I think, render the ventilation quite perfect.

5th. I would recommend that warm, cold, and vapour baths be constructed in some convenient part of the east building, on the first floor, to be appropriated exclusively to the use of the patients of that part of the hospital, and such private patients (not maniacs) as inhabit the large rooms in the west building. (These are now erected.)

6th. That two small buildings be erected, about twelve or fourteen feet square, and 2 stories high, at the distance of about fifteen feet from the north end ofthe east and west wings, and communicating with each story of these wings by means of a covered corridor. Or, should this plan be found inconvenient, such buildings might be erected on any part of the north side of the hospital, that an architect should deem most proper.

7th. That a building, containing convenient dissecting rooms, be erected in some part of the area of the hospital, remote as possible from the main buildings, for the purpose of examining and dissecting dead bodies. No hospital is complete without such a building.

8th. That the American chimney-place stove be erected in the managers' room, the library-room, and as many of the wards as convenient. The first cost of these stoves would be considerable, but their erection would result in an annual saving of three-fourths of the quantity of fuel usually consumed in open fire-places.

9th. That a concise and well written account of the hospital be printed in small pamphlets of four or five pages, and be sold by the gate-keeper for three-pence each, to such strangers as visit the hospital, who may be disposed to purchase them. Scarcely any person visits an institution of this kind, who would not will ingly give three-pence for an account of it; and the annual amount of the sale of such pamphlets at the gate would, I am persuaded, be considerable. The perquisite for showing the great hall of Greenwich hospital to strangers is one shilling, three-pence of which goes to the person who exhibits it. The remaining nine-pences make an annual revenue,

which supports, clothes, and educates, twenty boys, the sons of distressed seamen. I would propose that the fund arising from the sale of such description of the hospital be appropriated toward the support of an additional number of paupers in the institution.

10th. That at some future day, when the finances of the hospital will admit of it, and their vacant lots shall be exempted from the present unjust taxes to which they are subjected, a lunatic asylum be erected on such one of the vacant lots as may be deemed best situated for the purpose; and that all that portion of the present building now divided into cells be converted into wards for the sick. In fact, the legislature of this state should grant an adequate sum of money for this purpose, and enable the contributors to the institution to commence such an asylum immediately.

11th. That the resident physician be invested with more authority and control over the general economy of the household than he now has. His consequence in that institution, considering the important station he fills, is much too inconsiderable.

12th. That as the attending physicians and surgeons of the hospital serve gratui tously, the hard duty they are now oblig ed to perform, in visiting all patients previously to their being admitted into the house, who are not able to call on them, be, under certain circumstances, dispensed with; and that in such cases the resident physician's certificate for admis. sion shall be deemed sufficient and satisfactory.

13th. That the bedsteads be all raised at least six or eight inches, and that only twenty-four be arranged in each long ward; and six in each of the wards of the east and west wings.

HOT-house. This convenience is productive of many articles at the tables of the rich and luxurious, and may be said to constitute the chief pride of many gardeners, and indeed of many persons in the highest circles of society. Illiberal persons are, however, prone to decry those productions, which do not ordinarily enter within their own use and consumption, and it is not unusual to hear many execrations uttered against hot-houses, temples, &c. and other edifices, which ornament the gardens and pleasure grounds of the affluent, under the idea that the money so expended is thrown away. But when we consider how many families are maintained by the labour required, either

in manufacturing, or in appropriating the several materials, we certainly may consider hot-houses in particular as claiming an exemption from such indiscriminate

censure.

In truth, hot-houses are highly useful; they not only serve to give a stimulus to common gardeners, of whom many affect to vie in early productions, but they serve as the receptacles for those exotics, which could not be reared, nor even preserved, were it not for the similarity thus artificially produced with their native climates. We have various instances of the naturalization of foreign shrubs, &c. which in time became nearly as hardy as our indigenous plants of the tender class; but which could never have been propagated, if exposed to the severity of our winter months.

The site of a hot-house is extremely important, as on this much will depend. A south-south-west aspect is to be preferred, as greatly inducive to economy during the summer time, which, in some seasons, are warm enough to obviate the necessity for many expenses, that in an unsettled year become indispensable; this, in places where fuel is scarce, and consequently dear, is a matter of serious consideration.

The best plan for a hot-house we consider to be a parallelogram, of whatever length may be thought proper; the front wall to be about a foot high, so as to rise above the level of the adjacent surface in such manner as may exclude heavy rain, &c. and to bring the plants to such a level as may give them a full exposure to the sun. On the front wall a perpendicular glass frame, of about two feet and a half, should be raised, so that its upper ledge should stand at full three feet and a half above the ground. This is necessary, for the purpose of allowing the sliding frames to be drawn out on occasion, and to give height within for the gardener's operations. The breadth of the interior ought not to exceed fourteen feet, and the back wall should be high enough to give the top or sliding frames an angle of thirtyfive degrees from the horizon. The tanbinns should be excavated in a diagonal manner; shallow in front, but at their back to the depth of six feet, and divided off into compartments, so that each portion, say six feet square, might be supplied, as occasion should demand, with fresh tan, without causing the adjoining parts to be disturbed, or, as is too often the case, to fall in.

The surface of the tan-binns should par-
VOL. VI.

tially correspond with the angle made by the upper glass frames, or at least it should stand at an angle of full twenty degrees from the horizon; so that the plants should not lay on a flat bed, but rise like a flight of steps towards the back of the tan-binns. By this means, when the excavation, which in this mode need scarcely be a foot in depth, is filled with tan. It will give various degrees of heat, according to the depth, in each part respectively, as it may be more or less removed from the front of the hot-house. We,however,rather recommend, that only half should consist of hot-beds, and that the front part be built up with benches of masonry, perfectly air tight, through which flues should be made, whereby such pots as might stand on them would receive a degree of warmth sufficient to preserve many of the more hardy exotics. We likewise are disposed to consider sliding frames to be far inferior, both in regard to their safety, and as relating to the closeness of shutting, to such as are made to rise on hinges at their upper ends, and which, having projecting battens to throw off the wet, into the centre of their supporting rafters (which should be grooved to receive the wet, and to conduct it downwards) effectually exclude exterior moisture, and, by being listed within, debar the access of frost. We have, in Plate VII. Miscel. given some idea of this ar rangement, wherein fig. 1. shows the internal section of the hot-house, with the binns for receiving the tan; also the angles of the surfaces, both of the tan-binns and of the glass frames; the latter, being divided into two or more parts, may be opened at pleasure, by means of the racks, to any height. The benches in front are all flued, and rise en escalier, i. e. by regular steps, for the purpose of displaying all the plants standing on them, and to give them a proper portion of the sun's influence,without which no plant will thrive, or be either so well flavoured, or so highly coloured. In fact, warmth without light will produce no good effect on the vegetable world.

Fig. 2. displays the manner in which the flues are made to meander through the several benches, between which the intervals should be filled up, to within two feet of their tops; thereby to allow the means of shifting, watering, or the whole may be built up as in fig. 3. provided their joint breadths do not exceed three, or three and a half feet; if more, they would preclude the possibility of giving the due attention to each individually. The square

A a

black spaces, under each bench, shows the passages of the flues, the sides being half a brick in thickness, and the tops covered only with a strong tile, well cemented down, and plastered over. By this means any part of the flues can be easily cleaned or repaired. Our readers will of course understand, that where any part of the hot-house is thus benched, it need not be excavated, that mode being only requisite for the lodgment of the tan in the parts intended for keeping up the heat by immersion of the pots in the hotbeds.

The average heat of the interior should be from about 75 to 80 degrees; but at particular critical times, when pines, &c. require much forcing, it may be carried up to full 85, or even to 90 degrees, so as to correspond with the temperature of their natural climate. It is remarkable, that in those places where pines grow wild, they possess the highest flavour, far exceeding that of the domesticated fruit, and that they ordinarily undergo a change of about 12 or 15 degrees between the average heats in the shady parts, where, they grow, at mid-day, and at mid-night. Yet our gardeners keep them full as warm during the night, as during the day. Perhaps some assiduous and curious speculator in this branch of horticulture may deem the above hint worthy of notice. The entrance into a hot-house should always be by means of a small anti-chamber, shutting very close; for when a door opens abruptly, so as to admit the external air, those plants which are contiguous thereto will receive a shock from the cold air, thus inevitably allowed to reach them, and will be far less luxuriant than others of the same kind, which, by a more fortunate locality, escape the baneful influence. We would recommend the sketch given in fig. 4, to the attention of our readers; init A is the anti-chamber to the hot-house B,and C is the fire-place, whence the chimney forms the several flues that pass under the benches, and through the back wall D, C ending in the chimney E.

It will be found most convenient to have the door in the centre of one end of the hot-house, and as that part will necessarily be raised by the slope of the surface of the beds and benches, four or five steps may be made, either in the anti-chamber, or in the hot-house. It will also be found useful to make in the back wall various small apertures, one for each binn, that the old tan, which has lost its heat, may be removed from below by means of scoops and hoes; the surface of the binn being, in the

meanwhile, covered with bass-mats,straw, &c., to exclude the external air. When the old tan has all been removed, the aperture should be closed, and the fresh tan be filled into the binn by two men,with a long narrow basket, which might be advantageously rolled up the path-way or alley, between the binns and the benches, on a small truck frame.

In small hot-houses, such as we sometimes see in the gardens attached to little country-boxes, the heat might be circulated from a kitchen fire, provided the benches were raised sufficiently high to receive that benefit without affecting the draught. This would, in many instances, be found convenient and economical. In such the air might be admitted, merely by having one or two panes of glass set in metal frames, to be opened on hinges, as we often see in places where sash windows would not answer, or where only a slight change of air is needful.

We shall conclude this article with remarking that hot-houses require considerable attention, and are extremely expensive, both in their construction and in their support. A thermometer should always be suspended in some shady part; and, in warm weather especially, it will be found extremely convenient to have tin ventilators set in the sides, near the tops, as shown in the figure; their action might at any time be stopped, by putting on a tin cap or cover, or by a sliding board; the latter would prove most con

venient.

During the day time, in the summer season, the fires may frequently be allowed to go out; but so soon as the evening chill is felt, the glasses ought to be closed, and the flues to be heated. As, however, some plants require more air than others, we offer to the consideration of our horticultural readers, whether a perpendicular glazed frame, dividing the hot-house longitudinally into two distinct parts, the front one to be kept partially opened, and the back one completely closed, would not be an improvement in the construction of this species of buildings. This might be so contrived as more effectually to guard against the sudden access of cold air, and serve as an auxiliary to the precaution already suggested, of having the entrance guarded by means of an antichamber. The manner of attending to the plants in hot-houses will be seen under the head of GARDENING, where we have endeavoured to furnish a complete, but concise essay and calendar, and in which every matter of utility, of

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