Pemberton Memorial Operating Room, Operating theater in Victoria, Canada
The Pemberton Memorial Operating Room is an octagonal brick structure in Victoria with large windows across six sides and two adjoining sterilizing rooms to the north. The structure features ceramic tile flooring, plaster walls, and modernized plumbing systems designed for medical cleanliness standards.
The surgical suite was built in 1896 using funds from Joseph Pemberton's bequest and served the Royal Jubilee Hospital until 1925. It was created during a period when medical facilities were being redesigned according to new principles of antisepsis.
The room shows how surgery shifted from public demonstrations to private, controlled procedures. This change appears in the design, which limits visibility and focuses on maintaining sterile conditions.
The rooms are well lit through large windows and allow natural orientation within the building. Visitors should note that the structure has been preserved with historical details that require close inspection.
Joseph Lister, pioneer of antiseptic surgery, visited the facility in 1897 during his inspection tour of North American hospitals. His approval of the design confirmed it met the most advanced medical standards of the time.
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