(4.) The principal Military Hospital, the Garnison Lazareth in the Hirsch Allée, for 800 patients, usually not filled. The flooring is the same as at Bethanien, except that no laque is used. It is oiled generally, not always, yearly.
The Ober Inspector, a Landwehr civilian, who is supreme over the Hospital, and an Ober-Stabs-Arzt, both speak very strongly as to the superiority of this flooring over all others for Hospital use, and in particular over flooring which requires scrubbing. It has only been introduced of late years. They consider it equal to any amount of hospital wear and tear. The military patients, like those of the Charité, Bethanien, and St. Hedwig’s, wear hospital slippers, with soles thick enough to admit of their walking in the garden, when fine; when not fine, they are not allowed to go out. This flooring would not stand the constant tread of nailed shoes. But often, on bad days as on fine ones, great numbers of soldiers come to visit their sick comrades, and leave the floor very dirty; generally it is enough to sweep the floor after the visitors are gone, and to clean it as usual next morning; sometimes it is necessary to clean it the same afternoon.
The flooring is cheap. Somewhat more expense attends laying it down than the ordinary boards, and a certain expense attends the re-oiling, but the constant outlay for soap and soda is entirely saved, except a little soda in the grand annual purification, with hot water, in addition to the daily one with cold; the time and labour attending scrubbing is saved, and above all the great gain to the sick arising from its use is secured.
The strong, decided way in which the old grey-headed Army Surgeon, and the middle-aged business-looking Civilian, spoke of the merits of this flooring, and of its capacities, was exceedingly satisfactory.
(5.) Two years ago the greater part of the boards in the Kaiserswerth Institution, which are of deal, were oiled, both on sanitary grounds, and to rid the Sisters of the drain on time and strength in scrubbing. They are considered far preferable to the old ones, and to answer in every respect. Yet the Kaiserswerth floorings would not answer the English requirement of extreme cleanliness. They are substantially clean, but, like those of the Military Hospital of Berlin, it takes examination to ascertain that they are so, and from the same cause—there is no “laque.” Also the colour is not at all so agreeable as the Bethanien colour. These oiled boards last a year only. A moderate amount of laque is required to add to their durability.
The sum of the information, condensed as much as possible, on this subject is;—
I. The boards, which are always of deal, can be prepared in three ways:
(I.) Laquering, only suitable for reception rooms, or when by some chance a ward is wanted to be got ready in a hurry; it takes less time; after two or three days, the room or ward can be used, and it shines brighter, but it lasts a much shorter time than the other procedures, as it stands less the incessant treading incident to all ward floors; it is also more expensive. Let us consider it wholly unsuitable for wards.
(II.) Oiled boards, with more or less laque.