Remote & Rural Remedies

"Survey return from Coll MacDonald"

Lochsheil, by Strontian.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/40

Coll. MacDonald was a medical practitioner in Lochshiel.

Lochsheil (also known as Loch Shiel) was part of the parish of Ardnamurchan in the historic County of Argyle. For further information on the parish, see the entry for Ardnamurchan.

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[[Addressee]]
Dr Coll MacDonald
Lochsheil
by Strontian

[[Survey]]
QUERIES

1. How many Medical Men practice within the Parish of Ardnamurchan?

None as a livelihood Dr. Howie attends the poor when a Visitor or Inspector calls on him to do so. I have been attending the poor on the estate of Lochsheil

2. The Names and Addresses of these.

Dr Howie Acharale by Strontian
Dr Coll Macdonald of Lochsheil by Strontian

3. Has the number increased or diminished of late years?

There are fewer at present as a Proprietor who is a medical man and prescribed for the his crofters and paupers, has gone to live in Skye.

4. Have any left the Parish since you became connected with it? If so, for what reason?

Dr. Martin the Proprietor alluded to has left the parish having taken a Farm in Skye. Consequently the Portion of the parish near his late residence will now be destitute of medical aid

5. Is there any complaint among the people of inadequacy in the supply of Medical aid?

The people are very fond of advice and medicine but suffer their diseases particularly as they cannot afford without ruin to send a distance for medical aid.

6. Do you know of any cases of protracted suffering, or of injury by Accident, such as might have been alleviated had proper advice been at hand?

I enclose a note of a few cases out of many which I know personally to have occurred within a reasonable distance of Lochsheil. My other pursuits or absence from the county at the time caused my not being at hand to attend to them.

7. To what extent is the deficiency of qualified Practitioners made up by the efforts of other parties?

My own partial attendance and advice as well as Dr. Martins was of considerable service in various cases and those who could afford it sent to Fortwilliam a distance of about 40 miles for medical aid, obtained it.

8. Does your experience enable you to suggest any measure – of general applicability – such as would be likely to relieve to some extent the evils (if they exist) of deficiency in the supply of Medical aid?

I enclose a note which I feel convinced would bestow medical aid and medecine¹ where it is most wanted in the Hebrides and western shores but to make it practicable it would be necessary to work it under the auspices of Government or a distinguished body such as the College of Physicians.

9. What Heritors are resident, either generally or occasionally, in your Parish?

Sir James Riddel resides a few months of the year at Strontian but can procure medical aid at Fortwilliam about 20 miles from him. Mr. Robertson of Kinlochmoidart, Mr McDonald of Glenaladale Mr McRay of Bighouse Mr Cameron of Inverailort and² ourselves here, reside the greater part of the year in the Country, but they also send to Fortwilliam when requiring medical aid.

[[Additional Text]]

Coll Macdonald M.D
Question 8³ The Western division of the counties of Rossshire, Invernessshire & Argyleshire consist chiefly of Rough Coast bays and Islands called the Hebrides
The greater parts are inaccessible except by sea. The sea is the natural highway to the Islands and bays. The steamboats have been of great advantage to some of those places by opening the communication. The greater portion of them are still without that benefit. They live without the aid of medical men or medecine. The distance they are from the small Towns where there are a few Practitioners, and the expence of procuring such when necessary makes it impossible for the many to obtain such aid. I do not know of any practitioner practising in the parish of small Isles and some years ago when accidentally in Eigg an Island with about six hundred inhabitants numbers came to me for advice and medecine, which I could not supply altho I was of Opinion that the majority of the cases could be cured⁴ or relieved. The simplest and cheapest plan to give medecine and medical aid to the Tens of Thousands living in the Hebrides and the West coast would be to employ a few select men of good conduct and energy provided with medecines and Instruments and a small steamboat The Marquis of Salisbury has in Rum⁵ to move about constantly among the people where they could conveniently assemble to be cured of their diseases This plan would more economically and efficiently come into contact with the sick and maimed than the establishing stationary practitioners. At present I or others depend more on our sheep Farms or lands and consequently we cannot devote our time or exertions to the cure of the people. In order⁶ to benefit them we would require to devote our whole time to the cure of diseases. I think that I could having two assistants visit stations in the Hebrides and the Western shores of Rossshire Invernessshire and Argylshire to the Crinan Canal. every two or three months. In case of Fevers or virulent disease it would be easy to proceed to the locality and direct sanatory⁷ measures. I would have much more confidence in the exertions of a few active men attending to their profession than in a greater number, stationary half Doctors half Farmers in these extensive parishes It is also of great importance to the sick to be visited near their own homes or as near them as possible.
Coll Macdonald
Question 6⁸ I know personally of the following cases among many whose protracted suffering & irremediable injury accrued from the want of proper advice not being at hand. John Mc.Naughton aged 20 shepherd to Mr Kennedy on a Farm in this Neighbourhood was about two years ago lifting two dead sheep when he fell on his knee joint swelling & pain in the joint ensued & not being able to get medical assistance the nearest Practitioner being twenty miles off the swelling increased & now the joint is stiffened & bent and he is rendered unserviceable for life, & goes with difficulty on a crutch 2d. Peggy McKinnon a young woman was in protracted labour for ten⁹ days also in this Parish, the child was born dead, she remains now more than a year Paralytic & has lost her speech & health.
Isabella McDonald had safe delivery but got Fever & headache which continued 20 days and caused her death.
Peter McLean of respectable parents¹⁰ about two years ago fell from his horse he got a forward partial dislocation of the hip joint owing to the distance & difficulty of getting a Practitioner, he was unable to get it reduced, at the proper twist & now he goes on crutches & will do so all his life.
Michel McDonald living on the estate has been bedridden for eight years from loss of power in his extremities¹¹ & is now getting Parish relief. I am of opinion that he could have been cured at an early stage before contraction of the Limbs occurred I could state hundreds of cases by a few days inquiries & my letter to the Board of supervision, which you have seen is a faithful statement of facts which I was cognizant of at that time The board of supervision has obtained in some parishes medical aid but the extent of the parishes is so great and the remuneration so inadequate that the bulk of the people are not able to get proper medical advice or medecine at a cheap rate as they do in towns of the south and rather than expend their means¹² they prefer to suffer their afflictions Many young women whose menses¹³ are suppressed from cold and other causes (slight causes) lose their health and usefulness and a few doses of proper medicine would restore them in a few weeks to good health
Coll Macdonald MD

[[Letter]]¹⁴

Dr. Coldstream, York Place
Sir
I have just ascertained that the inhabitants of Canna one of the Hebrides containing upwards of Two Hundred inhabitants have been suffering from the smallpox for several months and that a Man, woman and child have died and that the disease would have been more fatal only for the attendance of the Catholic clergyman on the sick untill¹⁵ he himself became ill. They sent to Tobermory a distance of thirty miles and to Skye about the same distance but were unable to procure any. The disease was brought to the Island by some of the Barra people who went to Glasgow for work but could find none and returned to Barra by Canna having the smallpox among them. Among the other evils of the people from the want of medical aid, vaccination is neglected, and in consequence when¹⁶ the people go to the Town seeking for employment they get smallpox or other disease and return to the Highlands worse than when they left. I regret to hear that Dr. Ferguson who has been in Skye for seven years and who I am informed by Mr. Watson Sir James Riddels factor, is a most active and skillfull Practitioner, is preparing to leave it. This ought to be prevented and if the Royal College will meet the medical destitution of even a portion of the Highlands this is the season for doing so while the weather is good, locomotion is easy and parts of the Highlands could be visited. I feel convinced that the College could obtain aid – from the Ministry through the Lord advocate, Sir James Gibson Craig or other members of Parliament. If you think my suggestions judicious consult the College about them. I have influence with Mr Ellice, Sir James Mathieson, and probably the member for this County, and If I were in London for a few weeks I might succeed in ameliorating the evils of the Highlands through the united exertions of those parties. I will be obliged to you to write me when you have have¹⁷ the information that I require. I trust that you will interest the Royal Collge to use the necessary means to benefit the Highland people I am Sir yours faithfully
Coll Macdonald
Lochsheil by
Strontian
18 May 1851¹⁸

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Explanatory notes:

1. Misspelling of “medicine”.
2. Continues below answer box.
3. Written on a separate page.
4. Continues onto next page.
5. Word “rum” is obscured by a fold in the manuscript.
6. Continues onto next page.
7. Misspelling of “sanitary”.
8. Continues onto next page.
9. Continues onto next page.
10. Word “parents” is obscured by a fold in the manuscript.
11. Continues onto next page.
12. Continues onto next page.
13. Menstrual cycle.
14. Written on next page.
15. Misspelling of “until”.
16. Continues onto next page.
17. Continues onto next page.
18. Written on next page.