Health & Welfare

This collection provides a unique insight into the health and social problems experienced by the working people of North Lanarkshire, as the area transformed from a collection of small rural villages to a vast centre of heavy industry. It also illustrates how conditions improved thanks to advancements in science and technology, along with the advent of the welfare and public services.

Key objects relate to improvements in medical and dental provision, from quacks and howdies to doctors, dentists and midwifes. Highlights include an amputation knife from Hartwood Hospital and collection of 1950s midwifery equipment. A collection of home remedies also features, as well as a fascinating collection of 1930s equipment from a Coatbridge dental practice.