IT is fashionable to criticise the National Health Service. Whichever political party is in office they provide a ready scapegoat. We tend to forget that prior to 1948 those who were ill either had to pay for treatment or rely on some kind benefactor to help them.

The history of organised treatment of the sick probably developed during the Norman period with the Knights Hospitalers combining fighting with nursing.

They gave us the name hospital, but it was the monks who took the lead in providing alms to the hungry and treatment to the sick.

It is interesting to see the layout of the water system at Whalley Abbey. Fresh water was first channelled into the kitchens before being moved on to the wash rooms and then the infirmary. The wash rooms were called the lavatorium, another name that we have taken from the Norman French with its strong Latin base.

Once Henry VIII had dissolved the abbeys, a vacuum was left which meant that nobody provided lodgings for visitors or treatment for the sick. The herb gardens, made famous in the novels and the associated TV series of Brother Cadfael, became overgrown. Medieval plants, however, still grow around the Whalley and Sawley areas.

Some of the larger manor houses had residents who were skilled apothecaries, the equivalent to our modern chemists. Some of their treatments were a little drastic but some of their concoctions did work.

The place where the apothecary worked (there was one at Stonyhurst before the establishment of the school in the 18th century) was called the office from which we got the modern word for a work place. Look at a flower book and seek out the Latin name.

Some plants were called Simples because they were guaranteed to work. The dandelion was named Taraxacum officinale. The officinalis was a guarantee that it would get the kidneys working. The common people called it "pee bed." Comfrey's posh name is Symphytum officinale and this is another guaranteed cure, this time for the treatment for cuts and bruises. It is still on the chemists shelves, as is willow bark, but we know it better today as aspirin.

The old name for foxglove was Digitalin and this is still used in the treatment of heart complaints under the trade name of Digoxin.

The treatment of the sick was one obvious function of the National Health Service but any civilised society has a duty to look after the elderly and the infirm. The monks did this and most of the manor houses looked after their servants long after they were able to work for their keep.

Some benefactors built alms houses for the less well off and these were commendable but alas only a drop in the ocean. The Industrial Revolution created workhouses which were better than nothing, but most were soul destroying places.

There are some fine sets of alms houses in East Lancashire with those at Waddington, Hurst Green and Stydd being as attractive as any in England. There is a fine example between Colne and LaneshawBridge (the Hartley Homes) and a set in Whalley being more functional but still playing a vital role in our social history.

It would be good to have a complete list of the alms houses in East Lancashire, including those which no longer function. A careful study of old maps is the place to begin this fascinating journey of discovery. It is just as important to research the history of our workhouses and hospitals. One of the world's most famous hospitals originated because of the cotton industry. This is Christie Hospital.

The Lancashire cotton industry was thriving on the damp climate, fogs and the hard work of the operatives. Towards the close of the 19th century cancerous growths seemed to be occurring more frequently. The workers ignored soot and oil seeping into every crevice of their bodies and inhaled dust and cotton fibres.

The spinning and carding rooms of the cotton mills were particularly hazardous places in which to work. Skin cancers, especially on areas of skin where the oil accumulated, became known for some reason as Chimney Sweeps' Cancer.

In order to "feed" the shuttle, women often used their lips to suck the thread through. This was known as Kissing the Shuttle and this led to cancer of the lips and mouth.

As Christie staff learned the skills needed to use the newly- developed x-rays they detected internal cancers. To all of these afflictions concerned industrialists and dedicated medical staff turned their attention. This hospital was literally pushing the boundaries of medical science and this is still the case to the present day. What should be stressed is that Christie of the 1890s was struggling to come to terms with cancer and the success rate was not high. These days, however, most patients return home fit and well.

What is not appreciated is that it was cotton which highlighted the problem and also that Christie is one of the most optimistic establishments in the world. The more donations Christie gets from individuals and industry the better.

Each hospital in our towns needs to have its history written because each is part of our social history dating back to the middle ages and the infirmaries built by the monks.

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