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The following requirements are necessary : —
(a) A suitable wooden fence round the land which would exclude
intruders, and also shelter the patients from public gaze. The
height of this should vary from 8 to 10 feet, according to the position,
and the length required would be 300 or 400 feet.
(b) The next necessity is a building which would act as a shelter,
and also provide means for the application of artificial sunlight.
The building recommended by Dr. Connan would take the form of a
large verandah 100 feet by 45 feet, with doors. There would be a
space at the sides for dressing rooms and lavatory accommodation
for men and women. The verandah would form two rooms of
40 feet by 30 feet, each separated by a small room for the nurses,
and each of these rooms could be used for artificial sunlight. It
is estimated that a maximum of 40 persons could be treated at one
time in each of these rooms by suitable lamps. It is proposed that
these lamps should be made movable, so that the treatment could
be carried out in the open air when weather permitted. In front
of the verandah provision should be made for a completely open
area sloped and covered with artificial paving stones, and this could
be used as a genuine open-air Solarium. Here on fine sunny days
patients could be exposed to the direct sun rays for proper periods
under medical direction, and if we had a great number of patients
under treatment it may be possible to carry this on simultaneously
in the Solarium and the verandah.
In addition to these buildings provision would have to be made for
drainage and lavatory accommodation, and also for the water which
would be used for washing down the floors and Solarium. An
electric cable would also be required to convey the necessary light
and power, because it may be found that in the winter time the
heat from the lamps is not sufficient for the patients, and it may be
necessary to provide thermo-electric stoves.
(c) Equipment. The equipment would include the building,
fence, lamps and their installation, dark mica glasses for the use of
patients undergoing treatment, beds, mattresses and stretchers.
In addition there will be the cost of clearing the ground.