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Mary Cunningham: Pioneering Health Visitor
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Ward 14 (women's surgical) Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
Unknown, 1911, Photograph
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of 48
Ward 14 (women's surgical) Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
Ward 14 (women's surgical) Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
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Item no
32382
Title
Ward 14 (women's surgical) Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
Description
Mary Cunningham, second nurse from left.
Artist / maker
Unknown
Date
1911
Size
13.9 x 8.8cm
Type
Photograph
Location
Edinburgh and Scottish Collection
The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI)has existed since 1729. The first hospital was a 4 bed unit at Robertson Close above the Cowgate and had standards very different from those today. In 1736 a Royal Charter granted permission to build a hospital at High School Yards which had 228 beds plus 12 Cells for the mentally ill. Edinburgh now had a hospital to serve a population of 50,000.
This hospital became over extended and a new building opened in 1879 between Lauriston Place and the Meadows with facilities for 600 patients. During its lifetime it was regarded as one of the finest medical centres in the UK. In 2003 Lauriston Place was closed and the new ERI opened at Little France serving a much wider area than was previously possible.
This image comes from a photograph album donated to Edinburgh Libraries covering the nursing career of Miss Mary Morag Bird Cunningham. Mary was born in 1888 and at the age of 22 began training at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (RIE) as a nurse. Once qualified in 1915 she moved to the Edinburgh Royal Maternity Hospital (ERMH) and obviously found her calling in the care of children. In 1917 she became one of Edinburgh's first health visitors as part of the introduction of Edinburgh's Child Welfare Scheme. The album contains early photographs of the RIE and ERMH as well as images of child health care clinics that she worked in during the 1930s at Portobello and Prestonfield.
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Mary Cunningham: Pioneering Health Visitor
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