The origin of the hospital lies in Edinburgh Town Council's use of Canongate Poorhouse for epidemic infectious diseases from 1871. Local authorities in Scotland were required to make such provision under the terms of the Public Health (Scotland) Act of 1867. Around this time the Royal Infirmary refused to admit cases of smallpox and cholera and further emergency accommodation was arranged it part of the City Poorhouse at Forrest Road. When the Infirmary moved to Lauriston Place in 1879, the Town Council acquired the Infirmary's old buildings in the High School Yards area. Under the control of Sir Henry Littlejohn, the City Medical Officer of Health, this became known as the City Fever Hospital. In 1903 it moved to a new site at Colinton Mains and became know as the City Hospital for Infectious Diseases. In 1948 the City Hospital became part of the Board of Management of the Royal Victoria and Associated Hospitals. In 1974 it was part of the South Lothian District of Lothian Health Board. After 1984 it was part of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh&Associated Hospitals Unit and subsequently the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh National Health Service Trust Hospital. From 1997, most of the hospital services were transferred from the City to other hospitals in the area following ongoing restructuring programmes. The hospital finally closed in March 2002.