HOSPITALS.
HÔTEL-DIEU,
Rue de Lecat, at the extremity of the rue de Crosne.
The establishment of vast hospitals is very ancient in Rouen. The one of which I am speaking was formerly situated near the cathedral, between the Calende square and the rue de la Madeleine. The house which is opposite the southern porch of Notre-Dame, is a part of the remains of that hospital. In 1758, it was transferred to the new building, which had been erected in 1749, on the place called the Lieu-de-Santé, other buildings having been afterwards added.
The Hôtel-Dieu is exclusively reserved for the reception of the inhabitants of the town, excepting cases of urgency, which after having been treated during six months, are dismissed as incurable, and are admitted into the Hospice-Général, if they have dwelt during ten years in the town. More than four thousand persons are admitted into this hospital annually. About two thirds of the sick are under the care of the physicians, the remainder under that of the surgeons of the establishment. Different rooms are reserved for different maladies. One of these is alloted to soldiers; another, which is known under the name of Gésine, is reserved for lying in women. There is also a separate room for Children under five years of age, and several rooms for boarders.
There are in all fifteen rooms, containing together more than six hundred beds, the half of which are of iron.
The medical practice is divided into two distincts parts; that of physicians, that of surgeons. Their visits are made regularly twice in the day.
The Hotel-Dieu, is at the western extremity of the rue de Crosne-hors-Ville, which is planted with trees, and offers a fine avenue. The buildings which form the hospital (properly so called), are those which are situated opposite the entrance gate which gives admittance to the vast court of the hospital.
The two hospitals are under the same superintendance which is renewed by one fifth, every year. This commission acquires each day a greater right to public gratitude and especially to that of the poor.
HOSPICE-GÉNÉRAL.
This is situated in the lower part of the town, to the south-east, and occupies a vast portion of ground adjoining the boulevard Martainville. Gratitude causes us here to mention the name of Claude Groulard, first president of the parliament of Rouen, in 1602. From that date the establishment of an hospital, really took place for the reception of the poor sick inhabitants. Previously, there existed only a subsidy, for the relief of the poor. After Groulard, a counsellor of parliament, named Damiens, wishing to uphold more effectually the existence of the hospital; quitted his house and situation, on purpose to live within and in this way be nearer to watch over the wants of the poor.
The Hospice-Général has been successively enlarged at different periods. Lately, they have made a considerable purchase of land, and erected vast buildings. Its population is of about two thousand individuals. Although under the same administrative commission as the Hôtel-Dieu, it has its particular director, who acts under the superintendance of the commission, which commission is subject to the public administration.
The care of foundlings is one of the principal attributes of the Hospice-Général. Orphans, who are found without means of existence, are brought up in the same way as those who are abandoned; excepting, that they are maintained at the expence of the communes to which they belong; while at the same time the others are chargeable to the departement; excepting however the assistence of the communes. The establishment provides the baby linen and clothing for the use of the foundlings; it likewise pays all the expenses of feeding and education of these children, as long as they remain in the hospital. When they are sent into the country, the amount of board, and nurses charges, till they attain the age of twelve years, is paid out of the funds of the departement. The Hospice-Général, receives each year on an average about five or six hundred foundlings. A tour is always ready at one of the entrances to receive them. Once a week, two coaches filled with these unfortunate little creatures, are sent off one into the country called the pays de Bray, the other to that called the Roumois, where they are left with agents who are charged to leave them with the nurses. In each of those communes, doctors are employed by the administrative commission to visit them in case of sickness.
We perceive, the front of the church of the hospital, from the boulevard Martainville. In 1785, the ancient chapel belonging to this hospital being found too small to contain the population, it became necessary to erect the present for that purpose. This church was dedicated on the 25th march 1790. The architecture has been much criticised. Perhaps more harmony on the whole might have been desirable; but nevertheless, the different parts of it are handsome, and the edifice, such as it is, still does honour to its author, the late Mr Vauquelin.
The principal entrance to this hospital is situated in the rue Bourgerue.
THE ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE,
Situated in the rue Saint-Julien, suburb of Saint-Sever.
The fréres de Saint-Yon, having been invited, in 1705, to come and establish themselves in Rouen, by the archbishop Nicolas Colbert and the first president Nicolas Camus de Pont-Carré, they accordingly purchased the portion of ground, which bears their name, in 1708. They erected the church themselves without the assistance of an architect, even acting as masons and workmen. The first stone was laid on the 7th june 1728. This edifice is of remarkable execution. In the exterior, its elevation is about ninety six feet including a lantern of about thirty, which stands above the transept of the edifice. In the interior, the length is one hundred and twenty five feet and the breadth twenty five feet. On the 16th of july 1734, the Frères de Saint-Yon, carried with great pomp, to their Church, the remains of their founder, the venerable Lasalle, who died in 1719, and was buried in the church of Saint-Sever. Independently of poor children, who were instructed by the monks according to their condition, they likewise received incorrigible children, who were sent by their parents to be taken care of; they also received a limited number of insane persons, thirty were habitually kept here at the expence of their families.
From the time when the Frères de Saint-Yon, as also all other religious communities, were suppressed, untill 1820, the house of Saint-Yon, became successivly a revolutionary prison, a barrack, a grenier d'abondance, or corn store house, a house of detention for spanish prisoners, an hospital for wounded soldiers in 1814, and a poor house. This last establishment was one of the most considerable of this description; but, it was suppressed in 1820, by royal ordonance.
Already in the preceding year, the Conseil général of the departement of the Seine-Inferieure had taken into consideration the deplorable state, to which the unfortunate insane were reduced, and they resolved to alleviate their wretched condition. It had been represented to them that these unfortunate people could not receive in the hospitals of Rouen, Havre or Dieppe, where there were great numbers of them shut up, the great attention, which their position required, or not even those which humanity demanded.
The conseil général on a proposition from Mr Malouet, then prefect of the departement, voted the establishment of a special asylum for the insane belonging to the departement. The buildings and dependencies of the ancient monastery of Saint-Yon were designated as being fit for that purpose. The situation of the place at the extremity of the suburb, and in a healthy situation, and the numerous plantations which it would be easy to make in the large gardens which surround the establishment, appeared as many favourable circumstances, to fix the choice of the administration.
Therefore, in 1821, they entered into a contract for the building of five different courts for the treatement of insane persons.
On the 25th August 1822, on the feast of Saint-Louis, the prefect Mr de Vanssay laid the first stone of the establishement.
From that time the works were carried on with activity. Already in July 1825, fifty seven patients had been admitted. This asylum contains at this time, 390 boarders and 150 poors at the charge of the departement.
It occupies a superficies of nine or ten hectares. The inmates are taken care of by the sisters of Saint-Joseph of Cluny.
The admirable order which reigns in the establishment, the internal management to which the insane are subjected, have already attracted the attention of foreign medical men, who are charged with the treatement of the same malady in the hospitals of their own countries. It may be said that this asylum has, for several years served as a model to all the others.