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17
Pleasant were offered to the Council; upon which I reported as
follows:—"The fundamental question we have to answer in
considering the suitability of any site for an Infectious Hospital is:—
Are the surroundings such as will ensure perfect purity and
cleanliness of the air? For this condition must override all other
considerations :
All authorities are agreed that a free supply of pure air, is a
curative means of the highest moment, and in the case of Infectious
Diseases it is the first essential of treatment, for in such cases it even
lessens the duration of the disease and renders convalescence shorter.
The following four conditions are essential for purity of air, and
will ensure a healthy site from the patients' point of view.
1. Moderate elevation, and an aspect which gives light and
cheerfulness.
2. Facilities for ample and pure water supply.
3. Facilities for drainage.
4.—A dry, healthy soil.
For the protection of the public against the aerial spread of
disease, the following conditions are necessary.
5. A certain degree of isolation of the site itself from centres of
population.
6. The area of the site must be such that at least 40 feet of space
can be interposed between the boundary of the hospital site
and every building thereon, which is used for the reception
of infected persons or articles.
In forming my opinion as to the suitability of the sites in
question, I have carefully considered the above requirements, and I
find that all the sites conform more or less to the essential conditions;
and from a medical point of view alone, any one of them would be
eminently suitable, providing drainage can be effected.
From its situation, site No. 2 would be the more suitable, as it
would be easily connected to our drainage system; and the principal
buildings could be so arranged as to practically occupy the centre of
the field.
The shape of this piece of land may appear at first sight to be
unsuitable on account of the disproportion between the depth and
breadth, but when it is remembered that the ward block must face
with the opposite side windows East by South, and West by North
respectively, and that the concrete foundation for the temporary ward
block must have the same aspect and area as the permanent block, it
will be seen that its shape is well adapted for the purpose; as from
the arrangement of the buildings shown on the accompanying diagram,
the principal ward blocks would occupy a more isolated position than
would be possible with a site of the same area, but of different shape."