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CITY OF BOSTON.

In Common Council, June 13, 1861.

ORDERED: That the Committee on Public Buildings, in concurrence with the Committee on the City Hospital, be directed to erect suitable buildings for a City Hospital on the site selected for that purpose, on Harrison Avenue, in general accordance with the plans of G. J. F. Bryant, to which a premium has recently been awarded by the said Committee on the City Hospital, with such modifications as said Hospital Committee shall deem expedient, at a cost not exceeding One Hundred Thousand Dollars.

ORDERED: That the Treasurer be, and he hereby is authorized to borrow, under the direction of the Committee on Finance, the sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars, the same to be appropriated for the erection of a City Hospital on Harrison Avenue.

In Common Council, June 13, 1861. Laid on the table, and, with the plans, ordered to be printed with the first Report.

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LETTERS FROM CONSULTING PHYSICIANS.

May 23, 1861.

MY DEAR SIR: 1 have examined, with some care, the several plans for the proposed "Free Hospital" that are now at the City Hall. I should give the preference to that of Mr. Bryant, as it seems to me to afford more complete means of ventilation and for isolating the patients than any one of the others.

I remain very respectfully yours, &c.,

T. C. AMORY, Jr., Esq.

GEORGE HAYWARD,
Pemberton Square.

Boston, April 27, 1861.

MY DEAR SIR: In my opinion, the plan of Mr. Bryantthe pavilion arrangement, with the buildings most separated -is decidedly preferable to any other of those which I examined, for the varied purposes of a City Hospital.

T. C. AMORY, JR., Esq.

Respectfully yours,

JOHN JEFFRIES.

Boston, June 19, 1861.

MY DEAR SIR: From such examination as I have been able to make of the various plans submitted for the building of a City Hospital, I am ready to say that I am well pleased with the plan offered by Mr. G. J. F. Bryant, and consider it worthy to be adopted whenever this charitable enterprise shall be carried into effect.

The city government will, in their wisdom, determine whether the present is the most eligible time for incurring the outlay necessary for building and supporting such an establishment. Very respectfully yours,

THOMAS C. AMORY, JR., Esq.

JACOB BIGELOW.

Beacon Street, April, 26, 1861.

DEAR SIR: I desire to thank the Committee on the "Plans &c.," and to say that, having examined them carefully, I think the three best are those presented by Messrs. Bryant, Ropes, and Richards. One of Mr. Richards's ground plans, you will perceive, is a copy from the one in my letter to the City, a year since. But that of Mr. Bryant, is a great improvement on that, and in its general blocking, separation, and elevations, decidedly and practically superior to all the others.

The elegant French facade plan is too complicated, and sacrifices too much of the hospital apartments to the central and less essential parts.

Very truly and respectfully,

HENRY G. CLARK,

HON. THOMAS C. AMORY, JR., Chairman.

No. 4 Court STREET, BOSTON, April 12, 1861.

THOMAS C. AMORY, JR., ESQ.,

Chairman of the Committee of the City Council on the Free City Hospital.

SIR: I respectfully submit, for the consideration of your Committee, a design for the proposed Free City Hospital, under your "Notice to Architects," of March 1, 1861, together with the following general description of the plan, a statement of the principles taken as a basis for my guidance in arranging the exterior and interior of the plans, and also the points of merit claimed for buildings constructed in accordance with these principles and arrangements as hereinafter set forth.

The design embraces a basement plan, and a first or principal story plan; the latter corresponding in its general details with a story designed to be located above the first story, as the second story of the wards, as well as the upper of the three stories of the building.

An exterior view accompanies the set of plans of the stories aforesaid, which illustrates the grouping of the wings with reference to the centre or principal building, and the corridors designed for connecting said centre building and said wings. A bird's-eye view of the design is also given as an important illustration of the true effect of the proposed plan. An index upon the plans of stories explains at a glance the contemplated uses and dimensions of the various apartments set forth thereon, rendering a recapitulation unnecessary in this communication.

The plan of the first or principal story over the basement shows the positions of the exterior boundaries of the lot appropriated by the city government for the contemplated institution,

in reference to the proposed building, and also exhibits the locations of surrounding streets, together with the grouping of paths, avenues, foliage, and other exterior useful and decorative adjuncts, within the fence enclosing the site. The exterior view also exhibits the proposed external grouping above referred to, together with the principal entrance, gateway, and porter's lodge.

The design offered by the undersigned is modelled upon the "Pavilion Plan," so called, now universally conceded to be the true basis of a successful arrangement of any large or general hospital.

This method of arranging hospital structures, besides being considered by all who are most conversant and familiar with the wants and uses of hospitals of all others the best, becomes, in the case of the city, an absolute necessity. For to introduce a single patient with a contagious or malignant disease would be to depopulate the rest of any one large structure, designed as one building, by the fear and danger of extending it to the other patients. This separation is also a necessary one for the sexes, for lying-in women and children, and for patients of any class. who would disturb others.

The plan as exhibited by design provides the conditions essential to secure the health of a hospital, and which are principally the following, namely:

1. Sunlight and air. An east and west exposure is secured, the pavilions and wards lying north and south, or nearly so. Ample spaces for the different classes of patients, and also for the comfort of each separate patient.

2. An entire separation of the different classes and sexes, contagious or troublesome, from each other.

3. An easy and economical supervision one head-nurse and two assistants being able to supervise from forty to fifty patients. 4. A simple, direct, and easy communication to and from all parts of the hospital.

5. A practically fire-proof structure of the wards.

6. Easy warming and perfect ventilating, and cleanliness and

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