On the north side of the square stands the Central Meat Market, a spacious building in the Renaissance style by Sir Horace Jones, built in 1867-68. It is 631 feet long, 246 feet broad, 32 feet high, and covers an area of 3+ acres. A spiral road winding round the circular garden in the middle of the square descends to the basement of the market, where there are depots and sidings connected with the chief railways for the transport of the meat (no admission). Adjoining the meat market on the south-west, and in a similar style of architecture, is the Central Poultry and Provision Market (1880). Farther west, in Farringdon Road, is the Central General Market (1892), for the sale of poultry, provisions, fish, and vegetables.
On the south-east side of Smithfield is St. Bartholomew's Hospital, which, together with a priory for Augustinian canons, was founded in 1123 by Rahere, a favourite courtier of Henry I., in fulfilment of a vow made by him when lying sick at Rome. It is the oldest charitable institution in London that retains its original site. Whittington, the famous Mayor, bequeathed money for its repair in 1423. At the Dissolution in 1546, when the priory was demolished, the hospital was spared by Henry VIII., who is regarded as its second founder. The present buildings date mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries. Those in the great quadrangle were built by James Gibbs in 1730-70.
The main entrance, in Smithfield, was erected in 1702; over the gateway is a statue of Henry VIII., with figures of a sick man and a cripple above. Inside the gates, to the left, is the small church of St. Bartholomew the Less, originally founded by Rahere as the hospital-chapel, but rebuilt (except for the tower) in 1789 and 1823. Inigo Jones (1573-1652) was baptized here. Visitors desiring to see the hospital apply at the office in the second archway on the left.
The large scenes on the walls of the main Staircase, representing the Good Samaritan and the Pool of Bethesda, were painted gratis by Hogarth, who, in return, was made a lifegovernor of the hospital. The Great Hall contains an interesting collection of portraits of famous surgeons and physicians. Harvey, who discovered the circulation of the blood, was chief physician of the hospital in 1609-43; Abernethy, the famous surgeon, was a lecturer from 1791 to 1827.
St. Bartholomew's Hospital now contains 686 beds, and about 8000 in-patients and 69,000 out-patients are treated here annually. The annual income amounts to about �174,000. To the right (south west) of the main entrance are three modern additions. The first is the Pathological Department, opened in 1908. The second accommodates the famous Medical School ('Bart's'), admirably equipped with lecture-halls, dissecting-rooms, laboratories, museum, and library. The students number 424 and the teaching-staff 40. Farther on is the Out-Patients' Department (1907). The foundation stone of the Home for St. Bartholomew Nurses was laid by Queen Mary in 1921.
