A description of the new hospital wings at James Murray's Royal Asylum, Perth / by A. R. Urquhart and A. Heiton.

  • Urquhart, Alexander Reid, 1852-1917.
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A description of the new hospital wings at James Murray's Royal Asylum, Perth / by A. R. Urquhart and A. Heiton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Wards for chronic patients, over which, are the wards for convalescents and those of orderly habits. Reference to the plan will show how these galleries have been altered from the archaic type of central corridor with rooms on either side. The north block on the principal and upper floors is arranged in suites of private rooms. On the ground floor are galleries M. 4 and P. 4, occupied by excited patients. These were built for epileptics and idiots, and for many years were used for sick and infirm cases. It was with the view of improving the accommodation for these patients, of providing comforts and conveniences unthought of when this asylum was planned, that the Directors decided to build. It was not so much to gain addibional beds; although, by the erection of the new wings, the number of patients resident in the main asylum may be increased from 95 to 126, and ample accommodation is found for attendants, nurses, domestic servants, housekeeper's and other stores, as well as space for a complete series of medical baths. The first question to be decided was whether these hospitals should be detached from the main building. Inasmuch as the asylum is of small size, with a proportionately small staff, it was thought advisable to concentrate the whole as much as possible. It has been a ruling idea here, first inculcated by the late Dr. Lander Lindsay, that any enlarge- ment should be by means of succursal villas rather than by additions to the central asylum. The difliculties of the site, occupying as it does an elevated slope commanding extensive views, had also to be considered; and special care in design was necessary in order to preserve existing amenity. It was, therefore, evident that it must be a low building conformable to the exigencies of the original institution. In consequence of this, it became necessary to follow the classical style of the first plan, only departing from it in such details as were architecturally permissible: for instance, by substituting for the bluish-black local whinstone white sand- stone coursers with red sandstone facings, by enlarging the window spaces, by introducing pediments over the prin- cipal windows and similar expedients. Thus a prevailing efl'ect of harmony, warmth, and domestic comfort has been attained. On reference to the accompanying plan it will be seen that these buildings extend east and west from the north block of the old asylum, beginning from the dayrooms for excited