The Throne Hospital and early plastic surgery in Northern Ireland.

The Throne Hospital was built on a 28 acres site on the northern outskirts of Belfast and was opened in October 1874 as a convalescent hospital for children and adults; by its location it was well removed from the grimy atmosphere of central Belfast. Donations were headed by the Martin family from Killyleagh in memory of their son who had recently died from an infectious disease. Other significant contributions were donated by families whose names were associated with the Belfast Royal Hospital; they are recorded in Dr Sidney Allison's "The Seeds of Time"' in which he refers to the incorporation of the new hospital with the newly-created Royal Belfast Hospital, formerly the Frederick Street Hospital. The first annual report refers to 32 beds in two wards, 12 of which were designated the Martin Children's Beds for "spinal cases". In general, it is clear that most of the patients suffered from spinal and hip disease and various glandular swelling and that most ofthese surgical conditions were tuberculous in origin. Transfers from the Royal Hospital were admitted and were under the care of Dr H C Manley, a local general practitioner. Adult transfers had to await the completion of the hospital which was not finished until 1877. A surplus of 20 acres was leased for housing development, the income from which contributed to the running of the hospital. The Belfast Royal Hospital report for 1 884 reflects the convalescent nature ofthe hospital where each bed was occupied by less than three patients per year. By comparison the Children's Hospital and the Ulster Hospital forWomen and Children, each had approximately eight patients per bed per year. An additional unit was opened in 1885 for treatment of advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. This declined in importance when the Forster Green Hospital was established in 1896, but there were still ten beds for this purpose in 1903. It was under the care of the Royal Hospital physicians, successively Dr (later Professor) James Lindsay, Strafford Smith and William Calwell.