Remote & Rural Remedies

"Survey return from Peter Jolly"

Dunnet, Caithness.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/110

Peter Jolly was a church minister in Dunnet.

Dunnet was a parish in the historic County of Caithness. In 1831, the population was 1906. Most of the inhabitants were employed in agriculture and fishing. It was connected to the Orkney Islands via a ferry system.

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[[Addressee]]
The Revd
Peter Jolly
Dunnet
Caithness

[[Survey]]
QUERIES

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

No Medical men reside in this parish. Those who general practise in it, are Drs Mill and Bruce Thurso - and Robertson Bower.

2. The Names and Addresses of these.

Dr Mill, Thurso
Dr Bruce, Thurso
Dr Robertson, Bower, by Wick

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

I believe, they have neither increased nor diminished

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

None have been in the parish resident, since my appointment in 1845. Several years ago, my Brother practised & resided in the parish, but the Emuluments¹ proved trifling.

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

I cannot say that I hear of many complaints among the people of the inadequacy of 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?

Cases do occasionally occur, in which, owing to the distance we are from medical aid, injurious effects have resulted. And I have frequently known individuals defering² to send for a medical man, until his services were too late to be of any benefit -

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

There are three midwives resident in the parish, who let blood³ and apply a few simple remedies, perhaps not always very judiciously -

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?

It is difficult to suggest any adequate remedy for a generally poor, scattered, rural population such as is in this parish. No medical man could support himself by the fruits of his practise within the parish: & a combination of parishes presents many difficulties also from the prejudices of the people, who would not always apply to the nearest medical man -

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

No Heritors ever reside in this parish. The principle Heritor, Mr Traill M.P. occasionally resides in the neighbouring parish of Olrick - and the only other Proprietor, Mr Sinclair of Freswick resides either at Thurso or Dunbeath, parish of Latheron.

[[Additional Text]]

Dunnet
20th Novr 1850
Peter Jolly Minr.

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Explanatory notes:

1. Misspelling of “emoluments”.
2. Misspelling of “deferring”.
3. Bleeding, or bloodletting, is the withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure illness and disease. This was a common medical practice in the 1800s, dating back to antiquity, and was often carried out by unlicensed healers as well as qualified physicians.
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.