HOSPITALS, THEIR ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION 485 



There were many other hospitals in England during the middle ages 

 outside of London, and Dugdale in his Monasticum Anglicanum enu- 

 merates 460 and gives the charters of many of them. 



Prior to the sixteenth century seventy-seven hospitals were founded 

 in Scotland and over twice that number in Ireland. The green island 

 gives testimony as to the existence of hospitals not only by her law- 

 code, the Brehon laws, but also by the perpetuation of such place-names 

 as Spidal, Spital and Hospital. The Brehon laws are specific regard- 

 ing hospitals, stating that the hospital must be free from debt, must 

 have four doors for ventilation and that a stream of water should run 

 through the middle of the floor. Dogs, fools and scolding women must 

 be kept away from the patient. Whoever injures another must pay for 

 the maintenance of the injured one in the hospital or private house and 

 also for the maintenance of the mother of the injured one, if she should 

 be living. 9 The Knights of St. John established several priories in 

 Ireland, the most important one being Kilmainham priory, founded in 

 1174 by Strongbow. The Crutched Friars or Crossbearers flourished 

 during the twelfth century and erected many hospitals. There are 

 records of thirteen hospitals founded from this time onward which were 

 confiscated in the strife following the reformation. That a number of 

 leper-houses existed is attested by documentary references as well as 

 by place-names. 



Before we pass on to the modern epoch, a consideration of the char- 

 acter and discipline of these medieval hospitals will be of value. With 

 a view probably toward facilitating drainage many of these hospitals 

 were built near a river, as the Hotel Dieu, on the Seine; the Santo 

 Spirito of Borne, on the Tiber ; St. Francis, in Prague ; on the Moldan ; 

 and Mainz, on the Ehine. Many of these early hospitals were small, 

 especially those privately endowed, and contained only about fifteen 

 beds ; others were planned by able architects, and on a large scale. The 

 main ward at Santo Spirito, in Eome, was 409 feet X 40 ; at Tonnere 

 260 X 60; at Frankford 130 X 40. All these hospitals had numerous 

 windows for ventilation, and some a cupola. The interior was usually 

 decorated with great skill and care. Says Gardner, in his history of 

 Siena: 



The hospital at Siena constitutes almost as striking a bit of architecture as 

 any edifice of the period and contains a magnificent set of frescoes, some of the 

 fourteenth century, others later. 



The Tonerre hospital, previously referred to, founded in 1293 by 

 Margaret of Burgundy, sister-in-law of Louis IX., was situated between 

 the branches of a small stream, and its ward was lighted by many large 

 windows extending high up in the walls. A narrow gallery ran along 

 the wall twelve feet from the floor for the regulation of ventilation 



9 Joyce, "A Social History of Ancient Ireland," London, 1903, I., 616 et sq. 



