ringle's Preface_.

In Towns, the Places fittest for Hospitals are public Buildings, which
have large dry airy Apartments, situated on a high Ground, where there
is a free Draught of Air, and a Command of Water.

In Winter, those Houses, which have open Fire Places in the Rooms, are
always preferable to such as have close Stoves, or no Fire Place at
all; for an open Fire Place serves to keep up a free Circulation of
Air in a Room, as well as to keep it warm. And for the same Reason,
where nothing but Stoves can be got to warm the Wards, the Wynd
Stoves, which open into the Room or Ward, are vastly preferable to the
close ones.

Where there are no public Buildings, private Houses answering nearest
to the above Description are most proper for Hospitals. In general,
Houses with small Rooms make but bad Hospitals; and very Damp and
close Places ought by all Means to be avoided.

In Summer, when the Moveable or Flying Hospital is ordered into
Villages, large Barns, and the largest airy Houses, are the best.

Churches, situated on a dry high Ground, make good Summer Hospitals;
and in Winter, when Necessity obliged us sometimes to use them in
_Germany_ for this Purpose, they were found to answer very well, when
we had Bedsteads or Cradles for the Men to lie upon, and the Wynd
Stoves to keep them of a moderate Heat.

In making Choice of Houses for Hospitals, particular Regard ought to
be had to the Privies or Necessaries; because, where their Smell is
offensive, there is always Danger of infectious Disorders. If,
therefore, there be no proper Conveniencies of this Kind about an
Hospital, such ought to be contrived so as to prevent any Danger from
their putrid Effluvia. If there be a River near the Hospital, the
Necessaries may be made above it at a Place where there is a rapid
Stream below. In Villages deep Pits may be dug in the Ground behind
the Hospital, and Seats made over them, as in Camp; and a thick Lay of
Earth be thrown above the Foeces every Morning, till the Pits are near
full, and then they must be filled up, and others dug to supply their
Place.

When once the Places are fixed upon for Hospitals, every Ward ought to
be made perfectly sweet and clean; first, by scraping and washing with
Soap and Water, and afterwards with warm Vinegar; and then they ought
to be fumigated with the Smoke of wetted Gunpowder and of Aromatics,
and afterwards well dried and aired by lighting Fires, and opening
the Windows, befor