The lavatories and closets were placed at the ends of the wards most remote from the corridor, and immediately outside them ran the two main sewers, which at their sea terminations were carried some distance into the Dardanelles.
The plan of the hospital may be at once understood by imagining a covered way, open at the sides, and 22 feet wide, running nearly east and west, and reaching for a length of more than a third of a mile, on either side of which stood, at intervals of 27 feet on the south side, and in most cases 94 feet on the north, the thirty-four houses, each of which, as already said, was 100 feet long, 40 feet wide, 12 feet high at the eaves, and 25 in the centre, and was capable of containing fifty patients, with an allowance of nearly 1,300 cubic feet of air for each man. Some portion of this space was occupied by the closets and some small rooms used as orderlies’ and bath-rooms. Thirty of these houses were used as wards; four were used as dispensaries and purveyor’s stores. A drawing by Mr. Brunton, showing the arrangements of one of the wards, is attached.[189]
To the south of each division of ten houses was placed an iron kitchen, which afforded the necessary accommodation for preparing 500 diets.
At the inland extremity of the corridor were placed two iron laundries, the water from which (some 4,000 gallons daily) was passed into the sewers. Beyond the laundries were placed on either side the wooden houses of the medical and other officers, who were thus able to see down either side of this long line, and to preserve to a certain extent surveillance over the patients.
The two smaller hospitals were constructed on a similar plan, each range having, however, only one iron laundry inland, and one iron kitchen in the centre of the range.
About half a mile from the hospital, close to the sea in the south bay, three store-houses were erected, and a railway led from an adjacent jetty or pier by the side of these store-houses to the centre of the main hospital. Had the war continued, it would have been carried to the north pier and bay, and would also have had a branch running along the corridor of each hospital, so as to deposit the sick at the very doors of the wards into which they were to go.
Nothing could exceed the simplicity of the whole arrangement; it was a repetition of similar parts throughout; and experience enables me to say, that nothing could be better adapted for a hospital than this system of isolated buildings, between every one of which was a large body of moving air, rendering ventilation easy, and communication of disease from ward to ward impossible.
The introduction of the covered way connecting the various houses was a happy idea. In the summer this corridor was left quite open at the sides, and formed a cool walk for the convalescents; while in winter we boarded up its north side, so that in the coldest blasts of the northern wind the men were protected, and were able to leave their wards and to take exercise. I need only further observe that, in order to secure perfect ventilation, not only were openings left under the eaves and in the gables of the buildings (which could be closed in cold weather), but air-shafts were placed under the floors through which 1,000 cubic feet of air per minute could be forced into the wards by fans placed in the corridor and worked by hand [see fig. 22]. As the amount of wind at Renkioi was always considerable, we never had occasion to use these machines; but had the hospital been placed in a less airy situation, they would have been of the greatest use.
For the construction of this hospital every necessary part was sent out by Mr. Brunel. The houses were erected with great care by Mr. Brunton, assisted by Mr. Eassie, jun., and by eighteen English workmen (thirteen carpenters, one pipelayer, three plumbers, and one smith) sent out for this purpose. On account of the size and height of the houses (which were many times the size of the largest Crimean huts), the framework was obliged to be put together very carefully, and Mr. Brunton felt it necessary to employ none but the English workmen on this duty; consequently the erection of the houses took much longer time than we originally anticipated; but during the winter we had reason to be satisfied that Mr. Brunton had done wisely, for, in spite of the heavy winds we often had, no finished house was ever damaged, except in one or two instances to a very slight amount.