The History of Dundee's Hospitals

While the University's museums and galleries are temporarily closed due to the coronavirus emergency, we're sharing more of our collections online. This is the latest in a series of films in which museum curator Matthew Jarron tells the stories behind some of our most interesting objects and artworks. In this video we look at the history of Dundee's hospitals (including the Royal Infirmary, the Lunatic Asylum, Strathmartine, Maryfield, King's Cross, Royal Victoria, Ninewells and others) explored through objects and artworks from the Tayside Medical History Museum. The film features images from the University of Dundee Museum Collections, the University Archives and private collections.
You can find out more about our collections at www.dundee.ac.uk/museum.

[@davie12]

Fascinating. Thank you.

[@chrisjohnson3590]

Very informative and well-presented. All my four children were born in Ninewells and as a parent, you couldn’t ask for more.

[@Fernandwinnie]

Very informative, thank you.

[@gerbilmajor]

My mum worked in the Dundee hospitals. She trained at Bridge of Earn, then went to Dundee before going to Dunfermline maternity

[@stephenfinnegan3776]

Great 👍

[@stephenfinnegan3776]

I was born in the DRI 😀

[@magnuswalker7957]

Some of the artificial limbs were made in an annex of the engineering works of Robert Kellie and son at 40 East dock street

[@billcrowe7111]

As a child of the mid 50's and born in Maryfield I recall being taken to the Nelson St clinic, now the Guru Nanak Gurdwara, probably for an injection, in the late 50's. Also recall my mum having to go to the red brick clinic in Macalpine Road opposite Staffa Place. Believe it was because of the smallpox epidemic in Aberdeen at the time (1964?) She had diphtheria as a child and for some reason was called in for special screening. I do remember the building in Kings Road which had been the original DRI. I knew it as a school so your vid confirmed my thoughts. My great Uncle Chic worked at Strathmartine Hospital, and as a child I was told that he taught boys how to tie their shoe laces, which was ironic as he had lost a leg as a 16 year old in WW1.

[@UoDMuseums]

Thanks Bill - great memories! There was a polio epidemic in Dundee in 1962 and typhoid in Aberdeen in 1964.

[@lordpitnolen2196]

I can remember queueing at Nelson Street Clinic, as a child, for an inoculation during the epidemic.

[@magnuswalker7957]

I had my polo "sugar" cube at the Nelson Street clinic at some point in the 1950s

[@MsFranHill]

Great info, I was born in Maryfield ,Ive been researching the hidden history and am well aware of mudflood buildings all around Dundee, Ive even lived in them!!! Do you have any knowledge of this that you could pass on.

[@colinfraser8317]

Thanks for this, I am sure I read somewhere the DRI had an underground lake supplying fresh water. Can you shed any light on this?

[@UoDMuseums]

Interesting! That's not something I'd heard of, but before the new water supply to Dundee was set up from Lintrathen in the 1870s, they must have got their water from somewhere more local. I'm not sure where though!

[@colinfraser8317]

@@UoDMuseums Thanks for replying, During the DRI resedential development it was then, the lake was discovered by builders, when I was in Dundee a few years ago I asked family and friends about this but no one remembered. I'm 99.9% sure I am right about this but after looking for information on the lake I have that slight doubt, there doesn't seem to be any references to it.

[@Fernandwinnie]

@@UoDMuseums The Scourinburn and the Dens burn maybe?