Remote & Rural Remedies

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"Survey return from Donald MacRae"

Cross, Stornoway.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/156

Donald MacRae was a church minister in Cross.

Cross was a district on the Isle of Lewis in the historic County of Ross and Cromarty. At present no additional information about this location is available.

[[Addressee]]
The Revd.
Donald MacRae
Cross
Stornoway

[[Survey]]
QUERIES

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

Messrs Miller and McRae, Surgeons at Stornoway, occasionally visit and practise within the Parish of Cross or Ness – that is all.

2. The Names and Addresses of these.

None reside in the Parish.

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

No.

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

There were never any to leave I [expect] to say.

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

The people complain very much as well they may of inadequacy re the supply of medical aid. Distance, poverty, & disappointments press grievously upon them.

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?

yes, and such cases must in the circumstances occur among a small population so much cut off from Medical aid. Burns and scalds are frequent, also fractures, gangrene & [1 word illegible]¹

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

Some efforts are made by one of the families in giving simple medicine to the sick- poor not paupers. Two men use the lancet perhaps too often a third gives advice & physic he is in great vogue-:

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?

Could one or two women from the locality be trained as sick nurses it would be of immense benefit likely to relieve to some extent much suffering and other evils in that way.

9. What Heritors² are resident, either generally or occasionally, in your Parish?

There is no resident Heritor whatever

[[Additional Text]]

NB. Some medicine placed at the disposal of one or two families for general use might be of some service.

Explanatory notes:

1. Word obscured by tear in page.
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.

"Survey return from Donald MacRae"

Cross, Stornoway.

1850.

Donald MacRae was a church minister in Cross.

Cross was a district on the Isle of Lewis in the historic County of Ross and Cromarty. At present no additional information about this location is available.

1. Word obscured by tear in page. 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.

1. Word obscured by tear in page.
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.