34 The Hospital Requirements of Sydney. 



In the attempt to do this I would acknowledge the fair import- 

 ance of cubic space, and adopt the amount of 1500 feet as that 

 which is at the same time beneficial without being superfluous, 

 and therefore expensive to provide. This quantity is required. 



1st. As a necessary adjunct of efficient ventilation. 



2nd. To allow of sufficient space between the beds for the pre- 

 vention of contaminated atmosphere passing from one bed to 

 that next to it. 



3rd. To admit room for an intervening window. 



4th. To allow the free movement of three or four persons be- 

 tween the beds, with the use of a portable bath, and other 

 necessary ministrations. 



5th. To admit the introduction of pure air without producing 

 draughts. 



The number of beds to occupy each ward should be defined in 

 the plan, allowing a superficial area of 100 feet to each bed. A 

 window should be placed between each two beds, extending from 

 2 feet from the floor to Avithin 3 feet of the ceiling, and hav- 

 ing a width of not less than 30 inches : over each bed an oblong 

 window should be placed, about 4^ feet long by 3 feet deep, the 

 upper edge of this should reach to within six inches of the ceiling. 

 These should open upon a hinge from the lower edge and inwards. 



The centre upright window in each large ward upon each side 

 should be carried down to the floor, and the lower two-thirds be 

 made to open as a French window, to afford egress and ingress 

 into the verandahs. 



The long upright windows should be divided into three portions, 

 or sashes, each of which should open upon hinges placed on the 

 lower edge by means of a lever and pivot. The wall edges of all 

 the window spaces should be bevelled away towards the ward, for 

 the purpose of spreading the incoming air : and under the centre 

 of the head of each bed an air-grating should be placed in the wall 

 beneath the floor, having a aperture of not less than 12 x 8 inches ; 

 from this a galvanized iron square tube should pass to the foot of 

 the bed ; in the upper surface of this two gratings should be 

 placed, one under the centre of the bed and one under its foot. 



Whenever an end window can be placed in a ward it should 

 not be omitted, as it adds to both ventilation and cheerfulness. 



Mr. Trinuell's double circular tube should be placed in the 

 wards on the upper floor, where the temperature of the roof 

 space, and facility of placing it, render it most effective. 



The windows should possess a simple mechanism for opening 

 and shutting which places them beyond the control of the patients, 

 and in this climate should never be quite closed ; in medical wards 

 they can, if necessary, be provided with fixed diffusion screens 

 of perforated zinc or wire gauze. 



There may be at various points in the wall air shafts or flues 



