Welcome to the left-hand cabinet. This is the same layout as the first one, with two shelves on the left side and three shelves on the right side. Our first two objects are on the top shelf on the left side, displayed side by side.

The first object on the left is an A4 page of David Gow’s handwritten notes dating from 1996. It details his ideas for the development and marketing of the PRODIGITS experimental partial hand system. David Gow developed a number of pioneering hand and arm prosthetics for adults and children.

University of Edinburgh graduate David Gow joined the Bioengineering Centre at the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital in 1981. He continued his work both inside and outside the NHS throughout his career. These notes and diagrams, from the Lothian Health Services Archive, chart the development of Gow’s thought and practice.

The A4 lined paper has a margin on the left, and Gow’s notes and sketches are jotted down in black ink across the main body of the page. We get the sense of his thought processes moving swiftly as the text is quickly scrawled and the sketches are hurriedly shaded in. Gow had titled the page - ‘PRODIGITS – Artificial hand + arm system.’ Below this are three subtitles in a row: ‘Activator, Batteries and Electronics.’

Running beneath this, descending in a line down the margin, are four simple hand sketches. Each hand is side-on to us, drawn with two pincer-like digits, with each diagram referring to a different part of the design. Labels to the right of each drawing refer to the parts which are the focus, such as the ‘wrist rotator,’ which is drawn as a circle residing within the rectangle of the prosthetic wrist.

The lower half of the page features publicity ideas. The first idea is boxed-off. It shows a sketch of the hand and forearm labelled ‘disassembled skeleton.’ Another skeleton arm is depicted next to a mirror, which reflects back the PRODIGITS arm. Along with the slogan, ‘On reflection, an altogether better system.’

Below this boxed-off sketch is a smaller drawing of a jigsaw with the text ‘missing piece with PRODIGITS.’

Finally, there is a drawing of six building blocks, the top three fitting together to spell out ‘PRODIGITS.’ A note reads ‘Building blocks, children playing. Their future in our hands, chips – child’s play.’

This focus on marketing the hand towards children reflects the adaptive nature of this prosthetic, as it was designed with children in mind and could be fitted on someone as young as four. A small note at the top of the margin also references this intention, it reads ‘Ages 5 - Adult (4) sizes.’

This hand model was so easily adapted in size because it was made with individual motors fitted inside each finger. This motor system was new to prosthetics, and Gow was inspired by his wife’s exercise bike, demonstrating the creative way of thinking that powered his innovative work.

To the right of the notes page is a small, unassuming red notebook that measures only 12 x 20cm. It is a work diary belonging to University of Edinburgh graduate David Gow from when he was working as a Research Associate in the Bioengineering Centre at the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital in 1981.

The lined notebook is open to a double page detailing the development of a circuit for what would become an artificial arm. The page on the left has a sketched diagram, and the right page is filled with Gow’s handwritten notes, scrawled in black ink.

The diagram is in the centre of the page and maps out the circuit of the arm in two overlapping rectangular shapes, with electrical components dotted around it. In the centre of this is a third, smaller rectangle, which is labelled System PosN Servo. At the top of the circuit is an arrow pointing right, indicating Force. Following the circuit around, we come to a square labelled Amp and further on a rectangle labelled Lock, as well as other electrical symbols contained within a circle. A much paler note is jotted down at a slant at the bottom left of the page, which reads 'force transfer function.'

The text on the right is dated October 1981. It reads ‘First ‘sanctioned' (in quotation marks) discussions with Eddie about mechanical feedback on a servo.' The rest of the page details Gow's ideas for a new force feedback system, which he also mentions he discussed with Iain. The idea is a design which recognises the relationship between the variable angle and force in a feedback loop.

In less scientific terms, an artificial arm which recognises the relationship between how hard the wearer presses with their finger, or how much an object weighs down on the arm and relates that force to the angle at which they need to hold it, creating a much more cohesive movement that is more intuitive for the wearer.

Below those objects on the lower shelf is a photograph album from Edenhall Hospital, which was operated by the Red Cross, depicting scenes from hospital life between 1915 and 1960. The hospital offered convalescence and rehabilitation to amputees, and patients even made artificial legs in the joinery workshop.

The album measures 33 x 23cm and is bound in an orange-tinted brown leather. It is open at a double-page spread. The binding of the album is delicate, only just holding together.

The pages are made of black card, which has faded, and the edges are worn. On the left page are two paper flyers that have been collaged into the album, and on the right, five black and white photos. The flyers are arranged neatly side by side; they are printed in black on white paper, now yellowing with age.

On the left is a concert programme. At the top of the page, the event title is within a decorative border of flowers arranged like painted tiles. It reads – Edenhall hostel, 12^th August 1918, Musselburgh. The text below, in bold, curving script, advertises the Grand Concert by the B-Hoys at 9.15 prompt. Below this, the chairman, pianist and designers are credited.

The other flyer has advertisements and features five different ads, descending down the page. The first reads “LEGS” in capital letters, and in brackets below, “please don’t pull them.” This joke reflects a humorous attitude which is present throughout the album. The other ads are for legs, crutches and walking sticks.

The black and white photos on the facing page are arranged in two rows with three portrait-oriented images above and two landscape-oriented photos below. The top left image shows two male soldiers in army uniforms standing close, side by side, near a grassy hill.

They both have an upper limb deficiency, and the fabric of the sleeve closest to one another is folded back up to their shoulders. Strong shadows indicate a sunny day, and both men are smiling at the camera. The rest of the images are similarly of hospital residents recuperating outdoors, including a wheelchair user with a dog on their lap and an amputee on crutches.

The Hospital was opened in Kelso but moved to Musselburgh after Edenhall’s managers acquired Pinkieburn House, once home to the Lindsay family. This album spans both locations and is one of the few original artefacts to survive from this period of the hospital’s life. It provides an invaluable glimpse into the day-to-day life of patients and the technologies that were available to them.

On the top shelf of the right-hand side of the cabinet is a poster advertising the limb of the future, measuring 30 x 46 cm. At the bottom of the poster is the date 1998 in bold red letters. The poster features an image of a prosthetic arm, which extends from the top right corner to the bottom left, dividing the poster diagonally and is annotated with various blocks of text.

The mechanical limb is at an angle, meaning only three of its digits and its thumb are represented. It is made from gleaming, silver metal, black carbon fibre and bright orange plastic. It is articulated at the elbow joint with a wheel labelled potentiometer. The limb rests on an image of the arm-like, pink, rubber sleeve casing that will contain it. This casing mirrors the gesture of the mechanical arm by lightly touching the index finger to the thumb. Demonstrating how the mechanical base can be housed within a naturalistic cover that does not impair its function.

The content, entitled: 'Limb of the future,' details the 'greater versatility' this limb offers the patient through its modular design and construction.' Text explains 'The basic principle' in simple terms.

It describes how the "worm and wheel' mechanism is used throughout the limb: by fixing the wheel, the rotation of the worm raises the lower section.

An illustration in the top left corner depicts this process, showing a fixed wheel as a yellow circle with indented edges being turned by the worm, represented as a grey spiral like a screw. Red arrows indicate the turning, and labels clarify that as it rotates, the worm moves around the wheel. A label below indicates that this process is powered by a motor beneath the worm.

More explanatory text titled ‘In motion’ breaks down the arm’s operation into three steps: pressure pads, the potentiometer, and the reaction. Down the curve of the forearm, more text explains the advantages of this design, including weight distribution to reduce the total workload on the wearer, and the use of cuttable carbon fibre sections to personalise the limb to an individual's size. It also highlights the realistic appearance achieved through the rubber sleeve that is worn over the prosthetic.

Beside the hand, text explains that: ‘Early developments, the worm and wheel mechanism was originally developed as a compact joint in artificial fingers.’ In the bottom right corner is a smaller diagram modelling the use of the arm, which is labelled at the four points of the arm’s movement: the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingers, which reach towards the centre of the poster.

Below this, on the bottom shelf, is a pamphlet announcing the opening of a larger Bioengineering centre at the Princess Margaret Rose Orthopaedic Hospital, which was focused on developing externally powered prosthetics and other assistive devices like feeding aids, all with a person-centred approach.

The pamphlet is open at the title page, showing a photo on the left and text on the right. The grainy black and white photo fills the page. The image is taken from above and shows a young boy, facing us, standing behind a wooden desk. He’s writing in a notebook using a pencil held in his prosthetic right hand. The boy gazes intently at his exercise book, and his face is mostly hidden by his mop of light, wavy hair. He is dressed smartly in dark trousers, a white shirt and a striped tie which is fraying at the ends, and his other hand is also artificial.

The page on the right has three blocks of black typed text. A heading in capitals reads ‘Edinburgh Central Hospitals Board of Management and Medical Research Council.’ Below this, in the centre, in bigger curling font is ‘Opening of.’ Then returning to capitals, ‘Bio-engineering centre/Princess Margaret Rose Orthopaedic Hospital.’

Further text reads: ‘Housing the orthopaedic bio-engineering unit, the medical research council unit for physical aids for the disabled and research projects directly supported by the Scottish Home and Health Department and by the Thistle Foundation.’ At the bottom of the page, the author, Mr Kenneth Allsop, is noted and the date, 28^th of October 1969.

This is the final object in this display case.

Below the poster on the middle shelf is a small spiral-bound booklet measuring 19 x 25cm, titled Clothing for the limb-deficient child.

Thalidomide was a drug given to pregnant women in the 1950s for morning sickness that impacted children’s development in the womb, often resulting in lifelong disability such as limb differences. In response, the booklet aims to address some of the difficulties these children might have faced with clothing and offer them increased independence by creating clothes patterns that were adapted so they could dress themselves.

The booklet is folded open with only the right page on display. Here, there are text and diagrams in black on white paper. Under the title ‘Dresses’ are two drawings of designs, one on the upper left and one lower right, with explanatory text beside them. The dresses are shown on a female model indicated by the outline of a girl shown from the chin to the knee. Her facial features are excluded, but the artist has indicated blunt, bobbed hair. The model has an upper limb difference rendered on the first drawing and wears prosthetic arms in the second.

The first dress is a plain, sleeveless pinafore with a fluted collar and fastenings down the front. The accompanying text explains that Velcro replaces buttons here, and that the dress is ‘Sleeveless for short-armed children’. The second dress is also sleeveless but without a collar, slightly shorter and with a gathered waist.

The right shoulder of this dress lies open, revealing the Velcro fastening that allows for easy dressing. The text explains that ‘the child can loosen the Velcro by pulling with the mouth’, and that ‘the Roomy back allows space for a CO(2) cylinder if powered arms are worn.’ This booklet reflects the wider ethos of the hospital, which operated in all endeavours with the “needs of the patient clearly in mind.