To find out what hospitals looked like 100 years ago, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a variety of sources to compile a list of what may be little-known facts, according to a article on the AZ Central website.
Some of the 29 facts listed are:
Hospitals in many states were segregated by race until the late 1960s. Some hospitals were also segregated by gender.
Smoking was common throughout hospitals 100 years ago. People smoked in cafeterias and waiting rooms.
Even though doctors understood the importance of cleanliness during an operation, many performed procedures in their street clothes and an apron.
Surgical instruments were cleaned in boiling water, which killed most germs, but might have left some spores.
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