Remote & Rural Remedies

"Survey return from John Macdonald"

Clyne, by Golspie.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/87

John Macdonald was a church minister to Fearn, Clyne parish.

Clyne was a parish in the historic County of Sutherland. It contained well-cultivated farms and had a good road system connecting parts of the parish. In 1840, the population was 1756. The parish's main industry was agriculture, including livestock breeding, as well as fishery. There were also some quarries in the parish.

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[[Addressee]]
The Revd
John Macdonald
Clyne
by Golspie

[[Survey]]
QUERIES

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

There is no resident Medical Man resident within the bounds of this Parish. Dr. Ross Golspie and Dr. Rutherford Helmsdale pay an occasional visit.

2. The Names and Addresses of these.

Dr. Ross of Golspie – Sutherlandshire
Dr. Rutherford, Helmsdale Sutherlandshire

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

The number has diminished of late years

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

I became connected with this Parish in March last only – but there has been no medical man resident in the Parish for many years excepting the late Dr. Grant who was removed by death nearly two years ago

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

Many Complain of this – and frequently very justly

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 am not aware of any serious accidents having occurred in this parish since I became connected with it – But there have been several cases of severe illness chiefly in the chest, which had timeous advice been at hand would have been alleviated, and¹ been doubtless wholly cured - I may here mention that the people of this parish amounting in number to about 2000, are chiefly very poor; and [dissuaged] by the expenses connected with sending to Golspie or Helmsdale for medical advice – frequently delay doing so until the case of the Patient is past remedy

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

See Answers to Queries & Third and Second²

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 cannot say that my experience enables me to suggest any measure likely to relieve the evils resulting from the deficiency in the supply of Medical aid unless it were possible to have a medical man resident in the parish – And I may also mention that³ the great part of the neighbouring parish of Loth is equally inconvenienced in this respect, there being no Medical Man nearer than Helmsdale

9. What Heritors⁴ are resident, either generally or occasionally, in your Parish?

No Heritor resides at any time in this parish, all of wh belongs to His Grace the Duke of Sutherland who resides occasionally at Dunrobin in the parish of Golspie

[[Additional Text]]

Clyne Nov 25th 1850

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Explanatory notes:

1. Answer continues into query box 7.
2. Answer given in query box because answer to previous question overran.
3. Continues into query box 9.
4. A heritor was a landowner, under Scots Law, whose holdings were sizeable enough for them to be liable for the payment of public burdens such as Poor Law rates, road and bridge assessments and the church minister’s stipend.