Hospital
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Hospital. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
any building for the reinjured ception and treatment of sick, the hosor infirm persons. If possible by other pital should not be surrounded itself buildings than those belonging to . should be The structural arrangements circulation such as to secure perfect, free of air and the greatest amount of sundepends shine. The size of the wards on the number of patients to be maintained, allowing a capacity of 3,000 cubic to 32 feet for each inmate. From 20 beds have been taken as a basis for ward construction. In some hospitals there are wards of one and two beds for cases which require special care, or which from the nature of their disease require partial isolation. The general form of ward construction is governed by the question of renewal of air and the superficial area allowed to each paof tient, for on this depends the distance facility the sick from each other, the and of changing their beds, cleanliness many other important features. In a 24 feet with a window for every bed or two, a 7 foot 6 inch bed space along the outer walls is sufficient. feet per That would give 90 superficial bed, which must, however, be increased in pernicious fevers, surgery and obstetshould be from rical cases. The ceilings view to 12 to 14 feet high. With a keeping economizing heat in winter and the walls the wards cool in summer an imshould be hollow, ceiled, and of easily cleansed pervious polished surface, should with soap and water. All corners tolerated, be rounded off and no cracks since they fill with impurities. The floors and woodwork throughout should be of oak, closely jointed, oiled . The and waxed, rubbed and polished rewoodwork should be confined to that The forms quired by absolute necessity. as to facilitate of windows must be such the entrance of light as a factor to profoot of winmote health. One square feet dow glass to every 50 or 55 cubic , cheerof space will afford a well lighted ful ward. The consensus of professional opinion is opposed to the present plan of conhospital purstructing large edifices for being poses; the benefits they confer of hospital greatly diminished by the risk , erydiseases, -fevers of certain forms sipelas, pyæmia, etc., which when once often iminstalled are most difficult and possible to eradicate. The profession today favors a system of construction known as the "pavilion plan," which can be called a compromise between the large block edifice measure According and the cottages and huts. to this system the wards are separate and distinct from the administration building and should be arranged to form more pavilions one story high, never always surthan two, and they should blocks. This round the administrative to both mode of construction is applicable The large and small establishments. Vol. V-Cyc-E Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Herbert Hospital of Woolwich, the New York Hospital, the United States Marine Hospital of San Francisco are among the best examples of the pavilion style. Hospitals or asylums for inebriates, likewise hospitals for those addicted to the use of opium and other narcotics, have lately been established throughout the United States. Fever hospitals are maintained in all communities to secure isolation in infectious diseases, and hospital ships and floating hospitals are extremely valuable to promote complete isolation in cases of virulently infective disorders, such as SMALLPOX (q. v.), etc. Military and naval hospitals, establishments for the care of sick and wounded soldiers and seamen, exist in all civilized nations. For military hospitals in the World War see RED CROSS; also consult "Manual Medical Dept. U. S. A." (Washington, 1916).
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
a place for the reception and care of the sick and the injured. In its origin the term is closely related to hotel. Hospitals appear to have been unknown among the ancients. Little provision, if any, was made for the care even of the wounded on the field of battle. The Greek and Roman armies had no medical staff. The monasteries set apart a room for the sick. The modern hospital is an outgrowth of this custom. At the time of the English Reformation the monks were in charge of the hospital service of the kingdom. This branch of the monastery was retained in several instances and grew into a large establishment. It became, we may say, fashionable for wealthy men to endow hospitals. The cities of Europe are noted for large hospitals. One of the largest in this country is the Johns Hopkins Hospital of Baltimore. Modern nations vie with each other in providing hospitals for the use of the army and navy. During the late Japanese-Russian War, the Japanese field hospital, with its surgeons, remedies, and appliances, was fully abreast of the times. The hospital service which reaches the most people, however, is the small hospital of from ten to 100 beds. Not infrequently these are managed, and admirably so, by sisterhoods of nuns, or else they are owned and operated by physicians. While there is a general prejudice against leaving one's own home for a hospital, there are many reasons why the latter is to be preferred in case of serious or prolonged illness. The site is selected usually with a view to perfect drainage and light. The windows and other means of ventilation are arranged so as to secure an abundance of pure air. The floors are usually of hardwood, closely joined. The walls are periodically cleansed so as to avoid contagion. The bedsteads are of iron, the furniture is simple; in short, the rooms are sanitary. Medical attendance is close at hand, trained nurses manage each case according to the directions of the physician in charge. Rooms are at hand where surgical operations can be performed with the facilities demanded by modern science. While the home surroundings to which a patient is accustomed are wanting, the chances of recovery from severe illness or a critical operation are much greater in a hospital than in a home. The hospitals are a boon, especially, to patients whose home surroundings are not comfortable. It is possible, also, to give the best of attendance at far less expense, as in a hospital a nurse can attend to several cases quite as well as one. See Surgery ; Monastery; Medicine ; Barber Portable barracks. Hospital field service Berths. Hospital tent. Hospital field service