Return to Spotlight On... Home Page

Spotlight On...

Craigleith Hospital Chronicle, Volume One, No. 2

View this publication online as a 'page turner'.

LHSA has a collection of 13 issues of this military magazine, unfortunately not a complete run.  It was produced by the Second Scottish General Hospital, Craigleith during the years of the Great War.  Staff and patients submitted articles, stories and poems on many different topics.  Many provide a valuable insight into life as a soldier, patient or member of hospital staff at this time.

The issue available above (LHSA Ref: GD1/82/1) is the first in LHSA's collection, articles include:

"Duties of a Ward Orderly", "An Impression of the Belgian Wounded" [arriving at the hospital in October 1914], "Christmas Day in Hospital"; and a poem entitled "A Private's Alphabet", the first lines of which are repeated below:

"A is the Army, to which we belong;

B is the Battle, we wage against wrong.

C is the Cause we are all fighting for;

D are the Devils who started this war..."

Collection Catalogue

Craigleith Poorhouse was founded in 1868 and served the St Cuthbert’s district of Edinburgh. It included an Infirmary for the care of sick paupers. In 1914 the Poorhouse was taken over as a military hospital and renamed the Second Scottish General Hospital, Craigleith. The Poorhouse returned to its former function in 1919, and in 1929 it became the Western General Hospital.