Remote & Rural Remedies

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"Survey return from Adam Rettie"

Evie, Orkney.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/163

Adam Rettie was a church minister in Evie.

Evie (and Rendall) was a parish on the mainland of Orkney. The population in 1851 was 1408. The main industry was agriculture.

[[Addressee]]
The Revd
Adam Rettie
Evie
Kirkwall

[[Survey]]
QUERIES

1. How many Medical Men practice within the Parishes¹ of Evie and Rendall?

None

2. The Names and Addresses of these.

[no text]

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

[no text]

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

[no text]

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

The presence of a Medical Practitioner is very much desiderated, the centre of the parish of Evie, very near to which the house in which I reside is situated, being about 18 miles distant from Kirkwall -

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 have little doubt that much suffering, & injury by accident might be alleviated, perhaps also deaths occasionally prevented, were proper advice at hand -

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

Ever since my settlement here in 1841 I have myself been in the habit of keeping a supply of the simpler drugs, liniments, salves etc. for gratis distribution. But when any case comes under my notice about which I have the slightest doubt I advise an immediate application to one of the medical practitioners of Kirkwall - my advice, however, in this respect, is not always followed. -

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?

Were a Medical Practitioner to visit the parish of Evie periodically - say, with greater or less frequency according to existing circumstances. it would to some extent relieve the evil referred to in this query.

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

The parishes of Evie & Rendall are parcelled out among nearly 40 proprietors - Of these, those who are resident, constituting by far the greater number, have but small properties & are not above the level of small farmers - The principal Heritors, of whom there are 8 or 9 are all non-resident -

[[Additional Text]]

Adam Rettie

Explanatory notes:

1. Parish is corrected to parishes by respondent.
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 Adam Rettie"

Evie, Orkney.

1850.

Adam Rettie was a church minister in Evie.

Evie (and Rendall) was a parish on the mainland of Orkney. The population in 1851 was 1408. The main industry was agriculture.

1. Parish is corrected to parishes by respondent. 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. Parish is corrected to parishes by respondent.
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.