THE BASEMENT.
The basement or first story opens on a level with the Washington Street sidewalk, and is occupied by a plant of two large boilers, which supply the steam to run a huge American engine, of 100 horse-power, built by the American Engine Co., Bound Brook, N.J. It drives all the machinery of the establishment, including drug mills, pill machines, packing machinery, a large number of printing presses, folding machines, stitching, trimming, and many other machines, located on the different floors, and used in the manufacture of medicines, books, pamphlets, circulars, posters, and other printed matter. On this floor is located steam bottle-washing machinery, and also the shipping department. Here may be seen huge piles of medicine, boxed, marked, and ready for shipment to all parts of the civilized world. A large steam freight elevator leads from this to the floors above.
MACHINERY.
In addition to the power engine just mentioned is a 25 horse-power upright engine for running the dynamo for electric lighting, with a capacity of three hundred (300) lights. This engine and dynamo were also manufactured for us by the American Engine Company of Bound Brook, N.J. There is a small dynamo with a capacity of one hundred (100) lights used during the day to light safes, vaults, dark closets and hallways. All the offices and rooms of patients are supplied with electric light, as well as illuminating gas. An automatic Worthington pump is also located in the basement. This supplies the elevator and sprinkling system. The sprinklers come into play only in case of fire, when they are self-acting. This pump at its best is capable of forcing nearly two hundred gallons of water a minute. There is no place in which pure water is more desirable than in the manufacture of medicines. Our New York filter could, if such a large quantity were ever required, furnish the Dispensary with one hundred (100) barrels of pure water a day. Just beyond the south wall and buried several feet under ground is a boiler-shaped tank capable of storing ten thousand (10,000) gallons of medicine.
MAIN FLOOR.
The main or second floor of the Dispensary is entered from Main Street, through a hall leading from the Invalids' Hotel and Surgical Institute. On this floor are located business offices, counting-room, the advertising department and mailing rooms. Large, fire-proof vaults are provided for the safe keeping of books, papers, and valuables, whilst the counting-room and offices are elegantly finished in hard woods, and present a beautiful and grand appearance.
THIRD FLOOR.
On this floor are the Association's extensive printing and binding works. Fourteen large presses, driven by power, with numerous folding machines, trimming, cutting, and stitching machinery, are constantly running in this department. Here is printed and bound Dr. Pierce's popular work of over a thousand pages, denominated "The People's Common Sense Medical Adviser," over 1,200,000 copies of which have been sold. Millions of pocket memorandum books, pamphlets, circulars and cards are also issued from this department and scattered broadcast to every quarter of the globe.