Pennsylvania Hospital

Pennsylvania Hospital. Founded in 1751 by Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin, it is the nation's first hospital. Established through a charter from the Province of Pennsylvania, its mission was to care for the sick-poor and mentally ill. The institution has played a pivotal role in the development of American medicine and remains a major academic medical center.

History

The impetus for the hospital's creation came from Thomas Bond, who envisioned a permanent institution for patient care, and was championed by Benjamin Franklin, who secured crucial public support and funding. King George II granted the charter, making it the first such institution in the Thirteen Colonies. Its first building, opened in 1752 on High Street, was quickly outgrown. The cornerstone for the iconic Pine Building on 8th Street was laid in 1755, with patients admitted in 1756. During the American Revolutionary War, the hospital treated wounded soldiers from both the Continental Army and British Army. The 19th century saw significant expansion, including the construction of the Department for the Insane in West Philadelphia and the addition of several specialized wings. It weathered challenges like the 1918 influenza pandemic and continued to evolve, formally joining the University of Pennsylvania Health System in 1997.

Architecture and campus

The historic core is the Pine Building, a Georgian structure designed by Samuel Rhoads. Its most famous interior space is the Great Courtroom and the adjoining Surgical Amphitheatre, where early surgeries were performed. The campus originally centered in Society Hill but expanded westward. The Department for the Insane, later known as the Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital, was established in a separate, pastoral setting in West Philadelphia designed by Isaac Holden. Key additions include the Spruce Building and the Garfield Duncan Building. The historic buildings house the Penn Medicine Archives and feature notable artworks, including Benjamin West's painting "Christ Healing the Sick in the Temple".

Medical advancements and firsts

The hospital is renowned for numerous pioneering achievements in American medicine. It established the nation's first surgical amphitheatre and its first medical library. In 1804, Philip Syng Physick, the "Father of American Surgery," performed many early operations here. A major milestone occurred in 1846 when surgeons used ether as a general anesthetic for one of the first times in the United States, shortly after its demonstration at Massachusetts General Hospital. The hospital was also a leader in psychiatric care, with Thomas Story Kirkbride implementing his influential Kirkbride Plan for moral treatment. It opened the first obstetrics department in the colonies and later developed advanced programs in ophthalmology and orthopedic surgery. Its physicians contributed foundational textbooks and research to numerous medical fields.

Notable staff and physicians

Many seminal figures in American medicine have been associated with the institution. Founders Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin set its philanthropic and scientific tone. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and pioneer in psychiatry, served as a physician. Philip Syng Physick revolutionized surgical practice, and William Shippen Jr. was a key figure in early medical education. In psychiatry, Thomas Story Kirkbride's work had a national impact. Other notable figures include anatomist and surgeon Caspar Wistar, ophthalmologist George F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F.