Report of the epidemic cholera as it appeared in the Town's Hospital of Glasgow, in February and March, 1832 : with cases and observations / by W. Auchincloss.

Date:
1832
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the epidemic cholera as it appeared in the Town's Hospital of Glasgow, in February and March, 1832 : with cases and observations / by W. Auchincloss. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    OF THE EPIDEMIC CHOLERA, AS IT APPEARED IN THE TOWN’S HOSPITAL OF GLASGOW, IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 1832, WITH CASES. By W. AUCHINCLOSS, M.D. Taken from the 18tli Number of the Glasgow Medical Journal. The Town’s Hospital is situated on the north side of the river Clyde, from which it is separated by Clyde Street and an embankment, a distance of 144 feet. It consists of a front and a back building, between which there is a large court, or airing ground, 116 feet in breadth. The whole building occupies 6465 square yards. In February, 1832, the Hospital contained considerably upwards of 400 inmates, although not fit for the proper accommodation of more than 320. These, for the most part, were old and infirm persons, many of them bed-ridden, and from 60 to 70 fatuous or insane. The latter occupied chiefly the cells, on the ground floor of the northern or back division of the building. These cells vary in size from seven to eleven feet square, being six in height, with a stone-arched ceiling. They contained either two or three beds, occasionally with two persons in each. None of them have any fire-places, but they open into a large gallery about ten feet wide, through the centre of which runs a flue for communicating heat. This gallery is aired by means of small gratings, situated opposite each cell door, and opening into the large court between the front and back buildings. Each cell has also a similar grating behind, which opens into another very small airing ground to the north, where the lunatics are allowed to take exercise.—These are the only means of ventilating the cells. It may be further mentioned, that the floors of the cells are flagged with stone.—They are very damp, and this is much increased from the necessity of having them frequently washed, in consequence of the filthy and unclean habits of many of the inmates. In these apartments Cholera first made its ap- pearance.