Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 2019

JOHN SHAW BILLINGS (1838-1913) 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: 2018

When Johns Hopkins died in 1873, his estate provided for the establishment of a university and construction of a hospital and orphanage. In 1875, five individuals with expertise in hospital design were asked to submit plans for the hospital. Billings, Caspar Morris (see No. 1684), Stephen Smith (see No. 1911), Joseph Jones (see No. 1989), and Norton Folsom (see No. 2042) were the individuals asked to make recommendations for a modern hospital. The publication of Hospital plans resulted when it was decided to make the five essays as widely available as possible. Billings' plans were selected and he was engaged as medical advisor for the project. He toured Europe in late 1876 in order to become familiar with the latest developments in medical education and hospital design. Although ground was broken for the hospital in the spring of 1877, Hopkins' bequest stipulated that money for construction must come from the endowment's income and it was not until May 1889 that the hospital was completed and dedicated. Billings essay appears on pages 1-46 of the book and has seven plates and six illustrations which picture the plans and details of the proposed hospital.

See Related Record(s): 1684 1911 1989 2042