Archives reveal what’s hidden in hospital foundations

THE inscription on a tin plate i n s i d e i t s o r i g i n a l foundat ion st one reads: “Erected for healing of diseases of the poor, with money v o l u n t a r i l y contributed by the inhabitants of this c i t y , a nd ot he r benevolent people in Scotland.”

With its large venetian window and four Corinthian columns and crowned with a ‘ light and graceful’ cupola, the original Glasgow Royal Infirmary was an amazing building. Whenever I see an image of it, I often think how great it would have been to have seen it in all its glory.

The foundation for the hospital was laid in May 1792 by the Provost in the presence of magistrates, the principal and professors of Glasgow University, in their gowns, with their mace carried before them.

Members of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons and the Masonic Lodges, according to their seniority, and other public bodies, were also present in front of a large crowd of spectators. They assembled first in St Andrew’s Church, with a sermon by the Minister of St Enoch’s, and the procession was preceded by the musical band of the 37th Regiment.

Two crystal bottles cast at the Glasgow Glass House were buried in the foundation stone. One included coins of the reigning sovereigns, the other held different specimens of the Glasgow muslin manufacturers, a printed copy of the original charter and a copy of each of the Glasgow newspapers of the day.

The infirmary was built immediately to the west of Glasgow Cathedral on land that held the ruins of the Bishop’s Castle, which dated from at least the 13th century.

It had been allowed to fall into disrepair after the Reformation in 1560. A Royal Charter was obtained in 1791 granting the Crown- owned land to the hospital.

It was designed by brothers Robert and James Adam and opened to patients on December 8, 1794. The building had five floors, one underground, housing eight wards with 17 beds in each.

The fourth floor, with the glazed dome ceiling, was home to a circular operating theatre, with room for up to 200 students to observe surgeons performing operations. This area later became the Chapel.

The basement contained cells for the temporary confinement of ‘ insane’ patients, plus baths – one hot and one cold – a laboratory or apothecary’s shop, the kitchen, and some other apartments. Elsewhere, the various storeys of the central area contained a large committee room and apartments for the house- surgeons.

‘ The foundation for the hospital was laid in 1792’

Over the years, in a bid to meet increasing demand, several additional buildings were constructed. In 1816, a large addition created four extra wards, raising the total number of beds to 298. A specialist fever block was built in 1829 and a surgical block in 1860.

The original GRI was demolished and rebuilt during the early 1900s.