THE 1920s
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place
![A black and white photo of a surgical dressing room](https://magazine.clevelandclinic.org/hs-fs/hubfs/CC%20Magazine/Centennial/1920s/A%20Clean,%20Well-Lighted%20Place/Centennial-CleanWellLighted-Wide.jpg?width=1030&height=540&name=Centennial-CleanWellLighted-Wide.jpg)
Photo: Cleveland Clinic Archives
In the Clinic Building, a surgical dressing room awaits the next patient in 1922. Even then, cleanliness was critical — note the large sink and the waste container beneath it. In this room, patients would have their dressings changed to promote healing and to prevent infection.