Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 1684

CASPAR MORRIS (1805-1884) Hospital construction and organization. In: Hospital plans. William Wood 1875 xxi, 353 pp., illus., plans (part fold.). 23.9 cm.

For more information on this author or work, see number: 1682

When Johns Hopkins, merchant and banker of Baltimore, died in 1873, he left money and land to establish a university, construct a 400-bed hospital to serve the indigent sick, and build an orphanage for black children. In 1875, five experts in hospital design and construction were invited to submit detailed plans for the hospital. In addition to Morris, Stephen Smith (see No. 1911), Joseph Jones (see No. 1989), John Shaw Billings (see No. 2019), and Norton Folsom (see No. 2042) were asked to set forth their ideas and recommendations for a modern facility. Billings' plans for the hospital were selected by the trustees. The publication of Hospital plans resulted when it was decided to make the five essays as widely available as possible. Morris was known for his expertise in hospital management, for he had studied hospital administration in Europe and was involved in the founding of the Protestant Episcopal Hospital in Philadelphia where he was also one of its managers. Morris stressed economy in his recommendations and his plans were largely based on the design of the Episcopal Hospital. However, he did recommend multiple stories in keeping with a crowded city environment and his ideas presaged the multi-story hospitals of the twentieth century. Morris' essay appears on pages 173-268 of the book and has three plates which illustrate his plans for the proposed hospital.

See Related Record(s): 1911 1989 2019 2042