Hospital plans : five essays relating to the construction, organization & management of hospitals / contributed by their authors for the use of the Johns Hopkins hospital of Baltimore.

  • Johns Hopkins Hospital
Date:
1875
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hospital plans : five essays relating to the construction, organization & management of hospitals / contributed by their authors for the use of the Johns Hopkins hospital of Baltimore. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    into whicli pure fresli air is admitted from Avithont through a duct under the floor. An ii'on back above the point to which tlie coals are heaped, and an iron pipe passing through the air- chamber to convey away the products of combustion and the smoke, use tlie heat which would be carried up the chimney in warming the air in the chamber, which is then discharged into the ward through an opening in the breastwork of the chimney about halfway between the top of the grate and the ceiling. The air cannot be scorched and over-heated, as is done in hot-air fur- naces and by stoves, which parch the air and not only rob it of the necessary moisture, but deprive it of its vitalizing properties. The limit to which the heat from the fire can be so utilized will be the point at which it cools down the chimney so as to check the draught in combustion of the fuel. It is self-regu- lating ; too large a supply of air into the air-chamber mil cool down the flue and check combustion, whUe on the other hand, the more active the combustion the greater the amount of air thrown out through the opening into the ward, and the more active the ventilation. The warm air thus thrown out into the ward, mingles with that which ascends in front of the breast of the chimney, under the rarefying influence of direct radiation from the fire, and with it sweeps around the upper stratum of the air of the Avard, is cooled as it ajiproaches the ceiling and walls, descends by these to the floor and is again drawn toward the open fire, thus sweeping along the floor and canying with it the exha- lations and other contaminating matters held in suspension gathered around the beds, to be consumed in the fire, or carried with the products of combustion and other unconsumed matters with the smoke from the chimney-top. But there must be still other channels through which air must be admitted to meet the demands created by the draught through the fires and u]p the flues ; and when the outer temperature is low, it cannot be allowed to enter the ward unwarmed. It must be supplied through air chambers heated by steam coils, and these should discharge themselves into the ward near the floor, about midway between the central fireplaces and those in the corners of the wards, and also in the middle of the projection thrown out laterally opposite the central stack of chimneys. The currents thus created do not mingle, but maintain an unin- terrupted circulation.