Why The Old Operating Theatre Was Built On its Site?

The original hospital in Southwark, which was for the hospitality of pilgrims and poor people was burnt down, it was known as the Spital or Priory. It was rebuilt in 1215 to the east of Long Southwark where the air was meant to be sweeter, which was thought to help make patients better and to not cause anymore illness, as they thought that bad smells (miasma) caused illness.

By the fourteenth century hospitals started to care for the ill. These were still run by the monks and nuns, they could not however perform surgery as the Pope ordered, he said that blood shed was not permitted by the church. Surgery was only carried out by barber surgeons. This marked the start of hospitals being taken over by surgeons. The development of better medical for pregnant and poor women was partly down to Dick Whittington, who funded care for the poor, pregnant women in the slum area in which St. Thomas's was situated.

The church, which later housed the operating threatre, was rebuilt between 1698 and 1701, it had a large Herb Garratt in the roof. In 1821 it was ordered for the roof space to be fitted up as a threatre for the women patients.

The old operating threatre was situated within the roof space of St. Thomas's church as it was adjoining to the female's ward, so that it was easy and quick for patients to get from their ward to the operating threatre for their operation. When inside there was no lighting except for a large sky light placed in the roof. The skylight provided a lot of light as the top of the church was high up. It was a cost effective way of gaining a new operating threatre for the female patients as the roof space of the church was already owned by the hospital and it was a lot cheaper to refit a room, which they already owned than to build a completely new threatre. St. Thomas's Hospital was in a rough, poor part of London, so many of its patients could not afford to pay for any of their operations or treatments. This is why stands were put in a semi circular pattern around the operating table, so that medical students could pay to watch the operations. This would pay for the cost of the operation, meaning that no coat would be incurred by the patient.

Surgeons did not want to carryout any operations on the hospital wards as other patients would be disturbed and distressed by the screams of pain coming from the person who was under going surgery. This may have some of the other patients off having their operation, as well as this not many medical students would be able to view the operation and therefore provide the necessary money for the operation to take place.

In conclusion it is clear to me that the old operating threatre was situated where it was for a few main reasons, including :

. Being close to the female ward of the hospital.

2. The church's roof space already being owned by the hospital, which reduced costs.

3. There was a good source of natural light coming through the skylight, as there was no good artificial light at that time.

Simon Owen - 10J

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