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The Post Hospital at Fort Davis National Historic Site in Texas cared for ill and injured soldiers. It’s located west of Officers’ Row and is one of the restored buildings open to visitors.
Patients
To make the visit to the hospital more interesting, there’s a sign along the way with the stories of five real patients treated there as well as common treatments for ailments in the 19th century. It indicated their symptoms, then directed visitors to continue to the Post Hospital to see if the patients survived.
Post Hospital
Once inside the hospital, there’s a large room furnished with historic hospital beds and tables. Patients admitted to the hospital would stay in this room until they were discharged.
The doctor’s office contains period furniture, books, medicine bottles, and medical instruments that would have been used in the 19th century.
Finally, there are a few interactive exhibits. One displays more 19th century medical instruments and treatments. This is where visitors can find out if the patients on the sign outside survived. There’s also an excerpt of death records from 1880 to 1888.
The “wheel of misfortune” allows visitors to turn the wheel to choose a patient and another wheel to choose a treatment. Once you have selected a treatment, you lift a flap to see if the treatment was effective.
Store House
Just outside the hospital is the Store House. It’s where medicine and other supplies were kept.
