WELSH NATIONAL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE:

WELSH NATIONAL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE:

994 WELSH NATIONAL SCHOOL MEDICINE: NEW MEDICAL UNIT LABORATORIES. OF they are of patent stone. The walls have tiled dadoes on the staircase and on...

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994

WELSH NATIONAL SCHOOL MEDICINE: NEW MEDICAL UNIT LABORATORIES.

OF

they are of patent stone. The walls have tiled dadoes on the staircase and on all floors except the first, where the staff rooms are situated. Above the tiled dadoes the walls are finished in Keene’s cement and distempered. All floors are heated by hot-water radiators connected to a new calorifier installed in the old basement beneath this block. This calorifier is heated by steam taken from the main boilers of the hospital. In addition, the staff rooms on the first floor have gas fires. All the laboratory benches are of oak with teak tops, fitted with gas and electric plugs. and water, and the whole building is lighted by electricity. Separate electric and gas mains supply this block, and the water-supply comes through a separate meter.

THE new laboratories of the medical unit of the Welsh National School of Medicine have just been completed at the Cardiff Royal Infirmary. They have been erected on the site of the old casualty department of the hospital, which opened out of the south side of the main hospital corridor between the entrance General Arrangement of’the Laboratories. block and the Insole ward block. The cost of the The general arrangement of the laboratories building and part of the equipment have been provided through the generosity of the Rockefeller Foundation, follows. On the ground floor folding teak doors open New York. The laboratory block consists of ground, first, the main hospital corridors into a small lobby second, third, and fourth floors ; an internal stair- which the staircase rises to the upper floors. the case in ground new

block,

e xperimental work and

gives

dark

One

torv

and the other 21 ft. by 20 ft. Both are 12 ft. high. In the partition wall between the two

there is a wide roller shutter which can be raised or lowered at will

hospital storeys ;

to convert the two laboratories more or less into one if so as

there is intercommunication between the new stair-

required. Ample elec-

landings

and the hos-

corrion the

tric

light plugs are provided in the ceiling and on the walls. and gas, electric plugs, and

third floors of the hospital. There are, in ex-

laboratory

power

and

ground, first, second, and

ternal iron escape ladders on the north side of the

room.

laborais 27 ft.

by 21 ft. 6 in.

laboratory

addition,

a

photographic

block occupy the same height as the four main

dors

tloor

oratpries

from floor to floor. Owing to the difference in levels of the new floors from those of the hospital, the fivee storeys of the

pital

from from The

fitted up for

access

case

as

contains two research lab-

on

the side adjoining the hospitalI wards of the

unit,

is

water taps are fixed on the benches along the windows. Large sums with hot and cold water are also fitted separately from A three-way cable and telephone the benches. communicating with the medical unit wards are fitted for electrocardiographic work, and a floor plug with lead to earth is fixed. On the first floor are the staff rooms and office, all 8 ft. 6 in. high. The professor’s room is 21 ft. 6 in. by 21 ft. ; the other rooms are 21 ft. 6 in. by 15 ft., 21 ft. by 15 ft., and 17 ft. by 16 ft. 6 in. The professor’s room is in telephonic communication with

The Medical Unit Laboratories, Welsh National School of Medicine. detail the lay-out of the three upper floors.

Showing

in

block from the fourth floor to the third floor roof below, from which the hospital second floor corridor may be reached through a window ; and from the second floor to the roof over the main hospital corridor on the ground floor below. Thus, in the event of a fire filling the new staircase with smoke, there is an alternative route to the ground from every floor. The new block is lighted from the south on the ground floor, and from the north, south, and west on all the upper floors ; and in addition the second and fourth floors have skylights, so that every all the floors, and an outside telephone as well as an laboratory and room has ample illumination. intercommunicating departmental telephone is installed Externally, the walls are faced with Cattybrook bricks in a telephone box in the office. On the landing of from Bristol, similar to those used throughout the hospital. this floor are a lavatory and three store rooms. The stone sills, strings, and copings are Forest of Dean stone. On the second floor are the two teaching laboraAll floors are of the " Kleine " fire-resisting reinforced terra- tories for students. One, the clinical pathology and cotta construction, as are also the roofs. The stairs are of measures 37 ft. by 21 ft. 9 in. laboratory, bacteriology with the carborundum treads. Internally, patent stone, and is on the north, south, and west high, lighted floors are covered with teak blocks on the ground floor Bench accommodation for 30 students is and with cork parquet on all the other floors except in the sides. The benches face north, and a skylight lavatories and store cupboards off the stair landings, where provided.

995 the the students’ benches there is a free floor space of 21 ft. 9 in. by 13 ft. 7 in. Benches for sterilisers, are provided and large centrifuges, shakers, &c., washing-up sinks fitted. The other laboratory on this floor is the students’ laboratory for biochemistry. It measures 37 ft. by 21 ft. by 12 ft. high, and is lighted on the north and south by the ordinary windows, but there is also a skylight running along the north side of the laboratory, Four large double chemical benches are fitted, providing accommodation for 32 students if required ; large washing-up sinks, fume cupboards, balance benches- specially lit - benches for centrifuges, and a draught cupboard for stills, shakers, &c., muffle-furnaces, &c., are fixed in different parts of the laboratory. A polarimeter room, lavatory, and store rooms are located on the staircase landing of this floor. The third floor, which is 9 ft. high, contains research laboratories for clinical pathology and bacteriology, and serological work. The former measures 28 ft. by 22 ft. and is lighted on the north, south, and west walls ; in addition to fitted benches all round, two movable tables are provided and electric light and power plugs are fixed over them. The serological laboratory measures 17 ft. 8 in. by 14 ft. 6 in. and is lighted on the south wall. A bench with thick vitriolite top is fixed along the south wall and benches for baths, &c., are also provided. A media-preparation and sterilising room, 21 ft. by 13 ft. 6 in., is also included in this floor. Opening off the adjoining landing are a hot (incubator) room, 9 ft. 4 in. by 7 ft., electrically heated, and a store room for refrigerator and large centrifuge. There is also a lavatory on this landing. The fourth floor consists of one large biochemical research laboratory measuring 43 ft. 6 in. by 28 ft. 6 in. It is lighted on the north, south, and west sides and has two large skylights. Four large double research chemical benches are fitted each 12 ft. by 4 ft. 6 in. by 3 ft. high-and in addition there is another chemical bench running along the south side of the laboratory. Balance benches, specially illuminated, are fitted along the north wall, and six fume cupboards, one partially enclosed draught cupboard, and benches are for electric shakers, stirrers, centrifuges, &c.,

candidature through the exercise of local influence. The submission of the names of all qualified candidates was not calculated to achieve these objects, and if any name other than that of the best qualified applicant were submitted it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to justify the exclusion from the list of any qualified candidate. Furthermore, if the names of the qualified candidates were forwarded in their order of merit those candidates who had failed to obtain a high place might with reason be apprehensive lest the publication of such a list would adversely affect their

running along this aspect of the laboratory over windows, gives additional lighting. Behind

provided. A special feature of the laboratory block is its close proximity to the medical unit wards. A doorway from the internal staircase of the laboratory opens on to the top floor corridor of the hospital and is within 12 yards of the medical unit wards. The architect, Mr. E. Stanley Hall, F.R.I.B.A., of the firm of Edwin T. and E. Stanley Hall, London, evidently gave effect, with close attention to detail, to the wishes of Prof. A. Mills Kennedy, the director of the medical unit, and both deserve congratulations on

the result of their labours.

IRELAND. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Local Appointments. IT is satisfactory to note that the outcry against the new method of appointing the officers of local authorities is receiving no sympathy from responsible Ministers. Replying to a question in the Dail last week President Cosgrave took the opportunity of defending the procedure followed by the Appointments Commissioners. He said that it had not been the practice of the Local Appointments Commissioners to furnish a list of the qualifications of unsuccessful candidates for vacant posts. In settling their practice the objects of the Commissioners were primarily to secure the election of the best qualified candidate, and incidentally to relieve members of local authorities from the embarrassment caused in the past by attempts on the part of candidates to advance their

professional prospects.

In a letter to the daily papers, published on Oct. 31st, Dr. T. Hennessy analyses the qualifications of three candidates recently appointed to dispensaries in the county of Dublin. These appointments had been the mark of severe-and, as Dr. Hennessy showsunwarranted criticism by one of the local authorities concerned. These candidates all had good records, as he showed, but the nature of the criticism made it clear that none of them would have had any chance of election under the old system unless, in addition to his professional qualifications, he had possessed local or family influence with the members of the local authority. A system which makes it possible for such candidates to obtain appointment on their merits alone is a great reform in administration.

THE NEW R.A.F. HOSPITAL. EQUIPMENT

AT HALTON.

Monday last the Royal Air Force’s hospital nursing sisters’ quarters at Halton, near Wendover, were formally opened by Princess Mary ON and

Viscountess Lascelles. The new building, which will be called Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Hospital, is built in two storeys of pleasant-coloured red brick. It is sheltered from the north and east by a ridge of the Chilterns and overlooks a beautiful valley. Its position as well as its construction ensure that ventilationthe first need of a hospital after shelter-shall be adequate. At present there is accommodation for about 200 beds, but there is room for expansion. The general design may be seen in the plan which we reproduce below. There are a medical and an acute medical ward, a surgical and an acute surgical ward, a mental ward, two wards for apprentices, a section for officers (some small rooms, a ward for a dozen patients, a dining room, a library, and a billiard room), a section for women and children, and a labour ward. The ward units are good. On one side of the entrance is the sister’s room with an ice-chest, the scullery with a gas oven and rings, and a store ; on the other side is a special ward with one or two beds, a recess with a steam steriliser for instruments, a recreation room, and annexes with three waterclosets (elbow rests to each), a lavatory and a bath, also a room for bedpans with a large slab for scrubbing mackintoshes. All the taps are white ; there is little The ward itself has 23 beds, or nothing to polish. painted buff with a slightly darker dado toning with the rubber carpet on the floor, and a dull red surround to meet the rounded edge of the walls. Windows alternate with the beds ; each is iron-framed, in three sections and pivoted horizontally, so that The window-sill is of white ventilation is easy. enamelled rounded bricks, and below each is a sufficient radiator, so that draughts are not felt. These radiators are the principal source of heat, but there are also two coal fires (whose smoke escapes through floor ducts) to add to the patients’ comfort in cold and stormy weather. Green curtains shade the windows. Lighting is central, by eight large lights over the foot of the beds, but there are also movable lamps at the bed-heads. Each bed has a chair, and a bed-table with two shelves, and a rail at the back for the damp towel. The children’s ward has a frieze ’

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