The Hospital Requirements of Sydney. 39 



The object of having more or less space enclosed beyond that 

 occupied by the buildings is twofold : — 1st. To aiford free external 

 ventilation, and prevent the encroachment of other buildings which 

 could in any degree keep the wind and the rays of the sun from 

 the walls of the building. 2nd. To aiford cheerful and healthy 

 recreation grounds to the patients who can leave the wards. 



The first requirements will be great or small according to the 

 site selected. If in the country, for instance, away from habita- 

 tions, little would be necessary, unless fears were entertained of 

 future encroachment ; so also, if the hospital was to be erected 

 within a public reserve, or at the edge of one, no provision would 

 be required for the purposes of ventilation, &c. 



The second object for which ground space is required is to 

 afford means of recreation and exercise to the patients. It is 

 evident that the extent required for this purpose will depend, in 

 a great measure, upon the size of the hospital, and the nature of 

 the cases to be received within its walls. If in a hospital of say 

 (300) beds, the patients are to consist of a considerable propor- 

 tion of chronic cases, the grounds may extend to some acres ; but 

 if acute cases only are to be treated, capacious verandahs, with an 

 acre or an acre and a half of land judiciously arranged and planted, 

 will be the utmost they can use or enjoy. 



It should be a principle of hospital management that everything 

 should be under active supervision and control, kept in perfect 

 order, and managed with strict regard to economy • superfluous 

 ground, therefore, in this form of hospital is undesirable. By all 

 means ensure the full quantity that can in any way be beneficial 

 to the patients, and keep it to perfection, but decline more than 

 this. 



Such appear to be the requirements of a central general hos- 

 pital to be built in the present day. In considering them, I have 

 endeavoured to select such as are necessary to embody the de- 

 mands of modern medical science in the most efficient manner 

 compatible with economical management, and convenience of 

 administration, and at the same time such as are b est suited to a 

 climate like that of Sydney. 



The question of expense it will be difficult to arrive at ; but 

 through the considerate kindness of Miss Florence Nightingale, 

 I am in possession of the specifications of two modern hospitals, 

 each of which must be considered a model of its kind. The 

 first is the Herbert Hospital at Woolwich, and is notorious as the 

 finest specimen of hospital architecture possessed by Great 

 Britian, as well as that in which expense has been most disregarded. 



The second is that of the " Chorlton Union," in Manchester. 

 This is becoming almost equally well-known, as one in which " the 

 most careful regard has been given to all those sanitary arrange- 

 ments which it was thought might contribute to the alleviation of 



