THE HOSPITAL OF THE FUTURE

Abstract

There is a saying that the old order changeth, giving place to new; but change is not always manifest, and in some departments of our civilization it seems, for time, imperceptible, and then characterized by a period of great activity.One sees this in the building of hospitals.I am not here referring to the style of archi- tecture, though that has changed quite suddenly, but to the internal arrangements and the ideas which pervade them.Originally, hospitals were charitable institutions founded, for the most part, by religious orders out of pity for the.r fellow men, for the relief of suffering humanity- for those who rotted in the streets, beggars who could no longer beg, men broken in the wars, those in the last stages of disease, and for few else.Shelter and sustenance were of primary importance, and the medical side took second place.Once admitted to the institution the Anmates could remain there indefinitely.Gradually through.the ages the almshouse features were lost and the medical side grew until it became the all-important.feature of the institution as we see it to-day. -Lister's discoveries revolutionized hospital organIzation, and his influence spread far beyond surg cal confines. It introduced cleanliness everywhere, and banIshed the " smell of new-mown hay " which pervaded the institu- tions owing to the number of pyaemic cases in the wards.The tiled or terazzo floors, the rounded corners, the-new paint, and the general air of freshness associated with these institutions to-day are all due to Lister's genius.Since those great changes consequent upon his discoveries, we have been experiencing one of those pauses already hinted at.Public health authorities have influenced the water supply, sanitary arrangements, lighting, and other

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