THE HOSPITAL FOR CONSUMPTION AT BROMPTON.
WHEN the Queen, one morning in March last, visited the Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest at Brompton, she inspected every part of the institution, walking through the wards and kindly speaking to the poor patients at their bedsides (one of whom was a soldier of Balaklava); then examining the kitchens, with their steam-cooking apparatus, the store-rooms and larders, and the lifts or hoists for raising either persons or stores to the upper floors of the building. Her Majesty asked many questions about the internal economy of the institution, and expressed her entire approval of all she had observed. She then wrote her name in the visitors’ book, and examined the vellum scroll containing the signatures of the lamented Prince Consort and of the distinguished visitors who were present at the laying of the foundation-stone of the new building by his Royal Highness, on the 11th of June, 1844. A view of this building forms one of our Illustrations this week. Its capacity of accommodating patients does not, we believe, satisfy the present demand for admission. While the latter is steadily increasing year by year, the power of receiving patients in the existing building has almost reached its limit. The present number of beds (210) includes those extra beds which have been put up during the last few winters, to meet the pressure at that season. Every available space in the wards is thus filled up; and the committee, in their last report, spoke of the importance of extending the operations of the charity wherever the opportunity is presented. This has been effected to some extent by the Manor House Home at Chelsea, which accommodates twenty patients; but there is now commenced an effort at extension of a novel character, which, it is believed, will be of great benefit to the patients, as well as conducive to medical science. A proposal has been made, through Dr. Stone, to establish — at first experimentally — a sanatorium in Madeira, in direct connection with this hospital, the residents in the island having liberally offered to provide for twenty male patients during the coming winter, on condition that their expenses out and home be paid by the hospital. The committee have resolved to accept the offer, feeling assured that, with the assistance of the governors and the public, the necessary funds will be forthcoming. It is hoped that the experiment, if successful, may be repeated with advantage, not only in Madeira, but in other suitable climates, both at home and abroad.
The hospital building, which stands on a square piece of ground measuring three acres, fronts the main road. Its width is 200ft., with two projecting wings, each of which has a depth of 190 ft.; and the quadrangle between is laid out as a garden. The west wing, with a part of the ground floor of the central portion of the building, contains the dispensary and out-patients’ rooms, laboratory, museum, and sitting-rooms of the resident clinical assistants. The east wing contains the apartments of the resident medical officer and matron, the linen-room, store-room, secretary's office, board-room, physician's room, and servants’ hall. In the centre of the middle corridor are the apparatus-rooms for warming the hospital. The kitchen and sculleries abut on the north side of the central corridor, and are built outside the hospital. The first floor is devoted exclusively to female patients, except small rooms for the chaplain and for each of the two head nurses, and the two requisite sculleries, baths, and lavatories. The temperature is the same in the galleries as in the wards; patients are therefore able to read or work in these well-lighted, roomy corridors without inconvenience or exposure, or they may walk when the weather will not permit of their going out; they are also provided with easy couches and seats and movable tables for meals. The gallery of the west wing is named after her Majesty, the patron of the charity and one of its earliest friends, and is called the “Victoria Gallery." The gallery of the east wing is called the “Jenny Lind Gallery,” in testimony to the kindness of Mdme. Lind-Goldschmidt, who enabled the committee to commence building this wing, now filled with grateful patients. The first floor accommodates 103 female patients. The arrangements of the second floor are precisely the same as those of the first floor, the wards being occupied by male patients, for whom there are 107 beds. The west gallery is named after H.R.H. the late Prince Consort, who laid the foundation-stone of the hospital in 1844, and is called the “Albert Gallery.” The east gallery is named after the Rev. Sir Henry Foulis, Bart., at whose expense the chapel was built. The breadth of the galleries in both floors is 10 ft., and their height, and that of the wards, is 14 ft. The attic floor has comfortable dormitories for the nurses and servants and in the lower rooms are the sleeping apartments of the resident clinical assistants. The chapel, already mentioned, is situated at the rear, or north side, of the building, but is approached through the corridor opposite the front entrance. [608-9]
Note
As mentioned above, Prince Albert himself laid the foundation stone for the hospital in 1844, and when it opened in 1846 it became the first one in London for patients with consumption. Such was the need that it was extended twice, in 1854 and then in 1879 ("The Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest, now erecting at Brompton"). "Although no longer part of the hospital, the building still stands today, with its elaborate exterior by architect Frederick John Francis [1818-1896] largely unchanged" ("Royal Brompton Hospital"). In fact it is now a gated complex of luxury apartments, called The Bromptons.
The chapel mentioned above, St Luke's Chapel, was built to the design of Edward Buckton Lamb, who also collaborated with Francis on the completion of the main building, and that, with its later work by William White, is now Grade II* listed by Historic England. It was very well received when first completed, with the Builder describing it in close detail, and concluding that it was "quite worthy of his [i.e. Lamb's] established reputation" (379).
Text transcribed, note and new image added by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use the image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the Internet Archive and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.
Bibliography
Brodie, Antonia. Dictionary of British Architects 1834-1914. Vol. I (A-K). London: Continuum / RIBA, 2001 (see p. 684 for Francis's dates).
"The Brompton Hospital Estate." Survey of London: Volume 41, Brompton. Edited by F.H.W. Sheppard (London, 1983), British History Online. Web. 22 May 2026. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol41/pp130-143
"Chapel for the Consumption Hospital, Brompton." " The Builder VIII (10 August 1850): 377-79. Internet Archive. Web. 22 May 2026.
Chapel of St Luke, Brompton Hospital." Historic England. Web. 22 May 2026.
“The Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest at Brompton.” Illustrated London News. 48 (24 June 1865): 608-09. Internet Archive. Web. 22 May 2026.
"The Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest, now erecting at Brompton." London Museum. Web. 22 May 2026. https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/v/object-526229/the-hospital-for-consumption-and-diseases-of-the-chest-now-erecting-at-brompton/
"Royal Brompton Hospital." NHRS: Guy's and St Thomas's. Web. 22 May 2026. https://guysandstthomas.shorthandstories.com/royal-brompton-hospital/index.html
Created 22 May 2026 (replacing earlier web page)