why are hospitals painted green?

Many years ago, back in the 80's, I had an eccentric and rather lovely boss called Julian.  We were looking for new business premises, as we had outgrown our current site, when we heard that there was some barns and office space available in the next town. We went to look and it was indeed perfect for our needs.  A large car park, some decent offices, some barns for storage and a workshop for the vehicle maintenance...Perfect! Only one slight drawback, it was on the site of a psychiatric hospital!

The hospital was actually quite beautiful, being constructed in classic victorian style.   Huge red brick towering buildings with large arched windows and superb ornate work.  The focalpoint of the hospital was a massive water tower which could be seen for miles around. It was built back in the days when you were stuck in an asylum for the rest of your life just for nicking an apple.

Its still there, though now it has been converted into luxury homes and apartments. When we moved in the psychiatric hospital was slowly being closed down and the patients were being moved either to other hospitals, back into the community or into smaller units.  The maintenance buildings were vacant and this was the buildings we took over. However the main hospital was still open for business as usual.  We used to take out lunch in the hospital canteen, they resembled old fashioned school dinners but were very cheap so that's where we ate.

One hot summer day I remember once, sitting in my office with my back to the open  door . I was talking to someone on the telephone and didn't immediately turn around to see who had entered through the doorway.  When i did turn around I saw that it was in fact one of the patients. He was stood in the doorway with his trousers half way down his legs and was a little agitated.  I had to quickly end my telephone conversation and dial the hospital reception for someone to come and take the fella back to the ward he had wandered off from.

I remember the hospital canteen was painted a overbearing shade of  green.  In fact everything was pretty much painted the same green .  Pale green to about 7ft up the wall and then the top of the walls and ceiling were painted white.

I have googled "why are hospitals painted green?"

And here is the answer:

The short answer to the original question about green walled mental institutions? There was a Victorian boom in asylum construction with it’s related colour palettes and a belief in the curative effects of the colour green. Green is associated with springtime, grass, leaves, outdoors, all that. Victorians associated outdoor activities with health.  Green + sunlight = health.

nowadays, Apparently they paint hospitals green for a number of reasons.
a:  Its a calming colour
b: it doesn't show the colour of blood.

That's why surgeons and operating theatre staff wear green.  If blood splashes on their coveralls, it doesn't show red, it shows black.


The reason for  this evening's rambling post is as follows:

The 2nd bathroom was  nearly ready for painting.  I asked mum what colour she fancied it to be done.
'I really like the colour in my kitchen she said, but Dulux dont make it any more'  So she copied the serial code off the 6 years old rusty paint  tin she found in her garage.  I took myself off to the Dulux trade centre and had 1 litre especially made up so that it matched perfectly the colour she wanted.

I have just finished painting the pannelling in the bathroom  this afternoon.   His nibs was downstairs paiting window frames.  When I was completed I yelled down the stairs to him  "Stevie !!   I've finished !!  Come and have a look !!!"

He stuck his head around the door.  "what do you think?" I asked him, "Do you like the colour mum chose?"

"Yeah.." he replied "Its Loony Bin Green"

.....lovely......


xxx
Jo