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"Survey return from Henry Beatson"
Barra, by Lochmaddy.
1850.
RCP/COL/4/8/145
Henry Beatson was a church minister in Barra.
Barra was a parish in the Western Isles in the historic County of Inverness. The parish was spread across the islands of Barra, Fuday/Fudia, Helesay and Watersay, amongst multiple others. The main industry was black-cattle and sheep breeding and fishing. In 1831, the population was 2097.
[[Addressee]]
The Rev.
Henry Beatson
Barra
by Lochmaddy
[[Survey]]
QUERIES
1. How many Medical Men practice within the Parish of Barra.?
Two Gentlemen, who are “Tacksmen”1, or large farmers here, hold Medical Degrees- one of them practises a little gratuitously, the other acts for the “Parochial Board”2, & is bound to attend all the inhabitants, likewise.
2. The Names and Addresses of these.
Donald Nicolson Esqr, MD, Bahirva.
Donald McGillivray Esqr, Surgeon, Eoligarry. (who is the Parochial Medical officer.)
3. Has the number increased or diminished of late years?
Previous to 1845, there was no Medical man resident in this Parish – at any period, however distant, so far as is known-
4. Have any left the Parish since you became connected with it? If so, for what reasons?
None.
5. Is there any complaint among the people of inadequacy in the supply of Medical aid?
No, neither can there be, while the above hold their “Tacks” of land (for no Practitioner could live by following his profession solely, within this insular Parish.)
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 know of two cases, which terminated fatally- one, from Hemorrhage3, in 1819- another, from the effect of a Gun shot, in 1833- & much protracted suffering frequently occurred.
7. To what extent is the deficiency of qualified Practitioners made up by the efforts of other parties?
Before the present medical men here, became resident: other parties endeavoured to afford relief, when practicable, according to what is enjoined in “Buchan”, & “Reece”- Some also, ventured to “draw blood”4, at times.
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?
None “of general applicability”, for although there was a medical man in South Uist when the last fatal case occurred, his aid could not be obtained, owing to contrary winds, a difficulty5 very peculiar to this locality- supposing therefore, that the Medical man now residing in this Parish, transferred their agricultural capital elsewhere, (as they do not live by their profession,) the “deficiency in the supply of Medical aid” could only “be relieved to some extent by the establishment of “steam communication”, with the Inner Hebrides & Mainland, a consummation, which the benevolent secretary of the “Glasgow Highland Destitution Committee”, earnestly suggested.
9. What Heritors6 are resident, either generally or occasionally, in your Parish?
None in either way
Explanatory notes:
1. A person who held a lease and sublet land to others.
2. Following the Poor Law Amendment (Scotland) Act of 1845 parochial boards were set up in each parish to administer poor relief.
3. Misspelling of “haemorrhage”.
4. 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.
5. Answer continues into box for query 9 and in space below boxes.
6. 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.
Remote & Rural Remedies
