History Of The Antique Metal Hospital Bed
Hospital beds have come a long way since they were first introduced around the turn of the twentieth century. Today’s beds are electric, fully adjustable and some even have patient information programmed right into a computer in the bed. While all this innovative technology is good for patients and medical care; the history of the antique hospital bed is an interesting one.
A Brief History of Hospital Beds
It is not certain when the use of hospital beds came into practice. However, the first adjustable hospital beds were introduced somewhere around the beginning of the twentieth century. These antique hospital beds were called “Gatch” beds (named after their inventor Dr. Willis Gatch). Gatch was a doctor at the Indiana University School of Medicine and his new bed caught on very quickly. A prototype was crafted in wood and then converted to a metal twin bed version.
The beds were comprised of three sections that were independent of each other and could be adjusted with a crank. The head could be rolled up, the foot could be elevated, and later on the bed could be made higher. Given that patients were previously put in a flat bed, the ability to raise a patients head (such as for eating) contributed a great deal too patient comfort and care. Antique metal hospital beds were used well into the mid century.
Military hospital beds antique have two styles. The variety used in a regular military base hospital is the same as those used in a civilian hospital. The military field hospital used a bed that was nothing more than a square metal frame with wire mesh stretched across it to place a thin mattress on. The frames would break down and the mattresses roll up for compactness and ease of transport.
Why Would One Want an Antique Hospital Bed?
The older hospital beds actually resembled a regular bed more closely than today’s hospital bed. They had a head board and a foot board. Other than the manual crank that distinguishes them, you may not even realize the bed was a hospital bed (versus a standard bed from the same time period). This could be an attractive factor if you are looking for the convenience of a bed that can be elevated, but don’t want the “look” of a modern hospital bed.
An antique hospital bed may not be easily found; and if you do, it may likely need to be refinished. Because metal is prone to rust and rust inhibiting paints were not available, it will probably need a good bit of sanding and painting. Lead paint concerns of the past will also make you want to repaint the bed. It is fairly simple to refinish an old metal hospital bed. You will need to remove the old paint with a paint remover and then repaint he bed with a good quality metal paint. You may need to use steel wool to remove any stubborn rust.
Once you are done you will be left with an attractive antique hospital bed and a great conversation piece.
