Dundee Royal Infirmary
Encyclopedia
Dundee Royal Infirmary, often shortened to DRI was a major teaching hospital in Dundee
, Scotland
. Until the opening of Ninewells Hospital
in 1974, Dundee Royal Infirmary was Dundee
’s main hospital. It was closed in 1998, after 200 years of operation.
by Dr Robert Stewart and the local minister Robert Small
. This venture was seen to be beneficial to the community and, in 1793, it was proposed that an Infirmary for indoor patients should be founded. This proposal was realised in 1798 when the Dundee Infirmary was opened in King Street. At first this building housed 56-beds, but it was expanded by the addition of wings between 1825 and 1827. The Infirmary was granted a Royal Charter
by George III in 1819, after which it became known as the "Dundee Royal Infirmary and Asylum". In 1820 the asylum was formally established as a separate entity in its own premises in Albert Street, and the hosipital gained its official title of "Dundee Royal Infirmary", although locals would often simply refer to it as "the DRI".
Despite the extensions of the 1820s the King Street premises were no longer adequate by the middle of the nineteenth century. As a result, in 1852 building started on a new site in Barrack Road, which was completed and opened in February 1855. The new home of the infirmary was a large neo-Elizabethan construct with a central gatehouse comparable to that of an Oxbridge
College. This proved to be more expensive to build than anticipated, with the £14,000 raised for the project by public subscription failing to cover the building costs. The new building was originally built to accommodate 220 patients, but it was extended several times as the hospital expanded its services. Following the opening of the new building the King Street building was turned into model lodgings.
Further royal charters were granted in 1877 and 1898, the former on the occasion of the opening of a convalescent home connected with the hospital at Barnhill
. Prior to the creation of the National Health Service
, the Infirmary depended heavily on the generosity of benefactors such as James Key Caird
. Donations from Caird provided the hospital with cancer and maternity facilities.
During World War I part of the Infirmary was requisitioned for use as a military hospital. The running of the hospital was taken over by the newly formed National Health Service
in 1948. A specialist Neurosurgery
Department was set up in the 1960s by Joseph Block and Ivan Jacobson, who pioneered the use of advanced neuro-surgical techniques at the hospital, and officially opened in 1966. In the 1970s, the hospital became one of the first in the United Kingdom to acquire a Catscan head scanner, when it did so under Jacobson's guidance. Neurosurgery in Dundee would remain at the Royal Infirmary, only being transferred to Ninewells
when DRI closed.
DRI finally closed in 1998; its remaining functions were moved to the larger and more modern facilities at Ninewells
. The building and site were declared to be surplus to requirements by the Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and announced to be available for developement. The main building, which opened in 1855, survives, having been converted for use as flats.
via its medical school located at University College, Dundee
, and, after 1967, with the University of Dundee
. Most, but not all, of its teaching functions were transferred to Ninewells Hospital
after the latter’s construction. Indeed, the arrival of Ninewells, and its usurping of DRI's role as Dundee's maj or acute care and teaching hospital would ultimately doom the Infirmary.
The staff at Dundee Royal Infirmary included several notable academics. Lloyd Turton Price, who became Professor of Surgery in 1920, was noted for his excellent clinical teaching as well as his skill as a surgeon. Following his unexpected death in 1933, 2,000 people attended his funeral. Margaret Fairlie
, head of the Infirmary's Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Department between 1936 and 1956, became the first woman to hold a professorial chair in Scotland when she was appointed Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
in 1940. Fairlie, a popular figure with both students and colleagues, retired from the University and DRI in 1956, but continued to be associated with both until her death in 1963. Also based at the Infirmary was Sir Donald Douglas, who would use his research into surgical infection and wound healing to help design Ninewells Hospital
. Douglas, Professor of Surgery from 1951, was considered to be an inspring teacher.
Archive Services as part of the NHS Tayside
Archive. This collection includes patient records dating back to 1842 and hospital reports from 1826. The archives also include the royal charter
issued in 1819.
Items from Dundee Royal Infirmary are also included in the collections held by Tayside Medical History Museum, based at Ninewells Hospital
. Ninewells is also now home to many of the commemorative pl aques from Dundee Royal Infirmary. These, along with other items relating to the hospital are displayed on the DRI Memorial Wall, which was unveiled in November 2008, and can be found at the entrance to Ninewell’s South Block.
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Until the opening of Ninewells Hospital
Ninewells Hospital
Ninewells Hospital is one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, based on the western edge of Dundee, Scotland. It is internationally renowned for introducing laparoscopic surgery to the UK as well as being a leading centre in developing fields such as the management of cancer, medical...
in 1974, Dundee Royal Infirmary was Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
’s main hospital. It was closed in 1998, after 200 years of operation.
History
Dundee Royal Infirmary's origins lay in a voluntary dispensary founded in DundeeDundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
by Dr Robert Stewart and the local minister Robert Small
Robert Small (minister)
Robert Small was a Scottish Minister who was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1791, which seems to have been a fairly routine meeing...
. This venture was seen to be beneficial to the community and, in 1793, it was proposed that an Infirmary for indoor patients should be founded. This proposal was realised in 1798 when the Dundee Infirmary was opened in King Street. At first this building housed 56-beds, but it was expanded by the addition of wings between 1825 and 1827. The Infirmary was granted a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
by George III in 1819, after which it became known as the "Dundee Royal Infirmary and Asylum". In 1820 the asylum was formally established as a separate entity in its own premises in Albert Street, and the hosipital gained its official title of "Dundee Royal Infirmary", although locals would often simply refer to it as "the DRI".
Despite the extensions of the 1820s the King Street premises were no longer adequate by the middle of the nineteenth century. As a result, in 1852 building started on a new site in Barrack Road, which was completed and opened in February 1855. The new home of the infirmary was a large neo-Elizabethan construct with a central gatehouse comparable to that of an Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
College. This proved to be more expensive to build than anticipated, with the £14,000 raised for the project by public subscription failing to cover the building costs. The new building was originally built to accommodate 220 patients, but it was extended several times as the hospital expanded its services. Following the opening of the new building the King Street building was turned into model lodgings.
Further royal charters were granted in 1877 and 1898, the former on the occasion of the opening of a convalescent home connected with the hospital at Barnhill
Barnhill, Dundee
Barnhill is an area of Broughty Ferry, which is a suburb of the city of Dundee, Scotland. It is approximately 4½ miles east of Dundee City Centre. Until the late 19th century, Barnhill was a separate village.-Description:...
. Prior to the creation of the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
, the Infirmary depended heavily on the generosity of benefactors such as James Key Caird
James Key Caird
Sir James Key Caird, 1st Baronet was a Scottish jute baron and mathematician. He was one of the city's most successful entrepreneurs, who used the latest technology in his Ashton and Craigie Mills. James Caird was born in Dundee, and was the son of Edward Caird who had founded the firm of Caird ...
. Donations from Caird provided the hospital with cancer and maternity facilities.
During World War I part of the Infirmary was requisitioned for use as a military hospital. The running of the hospital was taken over by the newly formed National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
in 1948. A specialist Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
Department was set up in the 1960s by Joseph Block and Ivan Jacobson, who pioneered the use of advanced neuro-surgical techniques at the hospital, and officially opened in 1966. In the 1970s, the hospital became one of the first in the United Kingdom to acquire a Catscan head scanner, when it did so under Jacobson's guidance. Neurosurgery in Dundee would remain at the Royal Infirmary, only being transferred to Ninewells
Ninewells Hospital
Ninewells Hospital is one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, based on the western edge of Dundee, Scotland. It is internationally renowned for introducing laparoscopic surgery to the UK as well as being a leading centre in developing fields such as the management of cancer, medical...
when DRI closed.
DRI finally closed in 1998; its remaining functions were moved to the larger and more modern facilities at Ninewells
Ninewells Hospital
Ninewells Hospital is one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, based on the western edge of Dundee, Scotland. It is internationally renowned for introducing laparoscopic surgery to the UK as well as being a leading centre in developing fields such as the management of cancer, medical...
. The building and site were declared to be surplus to requirements by the Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and announced to be available for developement. The main building, which opened in 1855, survives, having been converted for use as flats.
Teaching hospital
Dundee Royal Infirmary was a major teaching hospital. It was at first linked with the University of St AndrewsUniversity of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
via its medical school located at University College, Dundee
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
, and, after 1967, with the University of Dundee
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
. Most, but not all, of its teaching functions were transferred to Ninewells Hospital
Ninewells Hospital
Ninewells Hospital is one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, based on the western edge of Dundee, Scotland. It is internationally renowned for introducing laparoscopic surgery to the UK as well as being a leading centre in developing fields such as the management of cancer, medical...
after the latter’s construction. Indeed, the arrival of Ninewells, and its usurping of DRI's role as Dundee's maj or acute care and teaching hospital would ultimately doom the Infirmary.
The staff at Dundee Royal Infirmary included several notable academics. Lloyd Turton Price, who became Professor of Surgery in 1920, was noted for his excellent clinical teaching as well as his skill as a surgeon. Following his unexpected death in 1933, 2,000 people attended his funeral. Margaret Fairlie
Margaret Fairlie
Margaret Fairlie was a Scottish academic and gynaecologist. Fairlie spent most of her career working at Dundee Royal Infirmary and teaching at the medical school at University College, Dundee...
, head of the Infirmary's Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Obstetrics and gynaecology
Obstetrics and gynaecology are the two surgical–medical specialties dealing with the female reproductive organs in their pregnant and non-pregnant state, respectively, and as such are often combined to form a single medical specialty and postgraduate training programme...
Department between 1936 and 1956, became the first woman to hold a professorial chair in Scotland when she was appointed Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Obstetrics and gynaecology
Obstetrics and gynaecology are the two surgical–medical specialties dealing with the female reproductive organs in their pregnant and non-pregnant state, respectively, and as such are often combined to form a single medical specialty and postgraduate training programme...
in 1940. Fairlie, a popular figure with both students and colleagues, retired from the University and DRI in 1956, but continued to be associated with both until her death in 1963. Also based at the Infirmary was Sir Donald Douglas, who would use his research into surgical infection and wound healing to help design Ninewells Hospital
Ninewells Hospital
Ninewells Hospital is one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, based on the western edge of Dundee, Scotland. It is internationally renowned for introducing laparoscopic surgery to the UK as well as being a leading centre in developing fields such as the management of cancer, medical...
. Douglas, Professor of Surgery from 1951, was considered to be an inspring teacher.
Notable staff
Several notable medics spent part of their career working at Dundee Royal Infirmary. They included:- Sir Douglas BlackDouglas BlackSir Douglas Andrew Kilgour Black, was a physician in the United Kingdom, famous as the author of the Black Report.He was born in Shetland in 1913, and studied medicine at the Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews, graduating with MB ChB in 1933.He conducted research into water loss and...
– Chief Scientist at the Department of Health and Social Security 1973-1977, President of the Royal College of PhysiciansRoyal College of PhysiciansThe Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
and Chairman of the British Medical AssociationBritish Medical AssociationThe British Medical Association is the professional association and registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association’s headquarters are located in BMA House,...
. - Sir Donald Douglas – Professor of Surgery at the University of St AndrewsUniversity of St AndrewsThe University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
and, from 1967, at the University of DundeeUniversity of DundeeThe University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
and Queen's Surgeon in Scotland. - Margaret FairlieMargaret FairlieMargaret Fairlie was a Scottish academic and gynaecologist. Fairlie spent most of her career working at Dundee Royal Infirmary and teaching at the medical school at University College, Dundee...
– The first female professor at a University in Scotland and pioneer in the use of radiumRadiumRadium is a chemical element with atomic number 88, represented by the symbol Ra. Radium is an almost pure-white alkaline earth metal, but it readily oxidizes on exposure to air, becoming black in color. All isotopes of radium are highly radioactive, with the most stable isotope being radium-226,...
in Scotland. - David Middleton Greig – Surgeon and educator who was a globally recognised expert on the pathology of bone.
- Sir Ian Hill – Noted cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at the University of St AndrewsUniversity of St AndrewsThe University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
and, from 1967, at the University of DundeeUniversity of DundeeThe University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
. - Ivan Jacobson – Noted Neuro-surgeon.
- Kenneth Lowe CVORoyal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
- Cardiologist noted for pioneering studies into intra-cardiac electrocardiography and Physician to the Queen in Scotland. - Thomas J Maclagan – The Medical Superintendent of Dundee Royal Infirmary from 1864 until 1866. Pioneered the clinical use of thermo-meters and whose research contributed to the development of aspirinAspirinAspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
. - George Pirie – Pioneer in the clinical use of x-rays.
- Hamish Watson – Noted cardiologist.
Legacy
The extensive archives of Dundee Royal Infirmary are kept by University of DundeeUniversity of Dundee
The University of Dundee is a university based in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee on eastern coast of the central Lowlands of Scotland and with a small number of institutions elsewhere....
Archive Services as part of the NHS Tayside
NHS Tayside
NHS Tayside is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. It provides healthcare services in the Angus, City of Dundee and Perth and Kinross areas. NHS Tayside is headquartered in Clepington Road, Dundee...
Archive. This collection includes patient records dating back to 1842 and hospital reports from 1826. The archives also include the royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
issued in 1819.
Items from Dundee Royal Infirmary are also included in the collections held by Tayside Medical History Museum, based at Ninewells Hospital
Ninewells Hospital
Ninewells Hospital is one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, based on the western edge of Dundee, Scotland. It is internationally renowned for introducing laparoscopic surgery to the UK as well as being a leading centre in developing fields such as the management of cancer, medical...
. Ninewells is also now home to many of the commemorative pl aques from Dundee Royal Infirmary. These, along with other items relating to the hospital are displayed on the DRI Memorial Wall, which was unveiled in November 2008, and can be found at the entrance to Ninewell’s South Block.