-
"Survey return from Donald Murray"
Sheildag, Lochcarron.
1850.
RCP/COL/4/8/117
Donald Murray was a church minister in Sheildag.
Sheildag (also known as Shieldag) was a fishing village within the parish of Applecross. In the mid-19th century it had a population of 200. For more information on the area, see the entry for Applecross.
[[Addressee]]
The Revd
Donald Murray
Sheildag
Lochcarron
[[Survey]]
QUERIES
1. How many Medical Men practice within the Parish of Sheildaig of Applecross -?
1. There has been no resident medical man in this parish for several generations past (so far as I know)
2. The Names and Addresses of these.
2. The only medical gentleman that has been in this quarter for a long time, is Mr Monteith of
H.M.S.S. Comet – xx1
3. Has the number increased or diminished of late years?
3. There is neither increase nor any diminution in the number!!
4. Have any left the Parish since you became connected with it? If so, for what reasons?
4. There has been none of the professions to leave it.
5. Is there any complaint among the people of inadequacy in the supply of Medical aid?
5. The cause has been always much greater than the complaint of inadequacy in the supply 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?
6. There have been of late several cases of suffering that evidently proved fatal for the want of proper medical advice in this parish-
7. To what extent is the deficiency of qualified Practitioners made up by the efforts of other parties?
7. The deficiency of qualified practitioners for the last few months has been partly made up by the kind efforts of Dr. Monteith above mentioned
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?
8. The only measure that my experience enables me to suggest for supplying the existing great deficiency of medical aid in this parish is a resident medical practitioner
9. What Heritors2 are resident, either generally or occasionally, in your Parish?
9. Thomas McKenzie Esqr. of Applecross is the only proprietor that occasionally resides at his country seat, during the shooting season
[[Additional Text]]
xx3 and
2. Dr . Donald Kennedy residing at Plockton Lochailsh, occasionally comes to this parish, when sent for, in extreme and very urgent cases, but it often happens that owing to the great distance he has to come (about thirty miles) he will arrive too late – where his services often are of no avail -
Explanatory notes:
1. Written by the respondent to draw attention to the additional text.
2. 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.
3. Written at the top of the return address page.
Remote & Rural Remedies
