Remote & Rural Remedies

"Survey return from William Anderson"

Walls, Longhope.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/177

William Anderson was a church minister in Walls.

Walls (and Flotta) was a parish on the Orkney Islands and comprised most of the island of Hoy. In 1841, the population of the whole parish was 1600. The main industries were fishing, farming, and many women were also employed in straw plaiting.

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[[Addressee]]
The Rev.
Wm Anderson
Walls
Longhope

[[Survey]]
QUERIES

1. How many Medical Men practice within the Parish of [no text]?

Not one -

2. The Names and Addresses of these.

Manse of Walls
Orkney
2d Dec 1850

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

Sir -

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

As¹ the Queries transmitted go on the supposition that we are not altogether destitute of medical aid advice they cannot be answered in the way intended. This Parish consists of the principal part of the island of Hoy- = Walls where there is a large population & also of the islands of Flotta and Pharay in whole [1 word illegible] upwards of sixteen hundred souls [&] there is not one Medical Practitioner. The People here generally apply to the Medical Man at South Ronaldsay distant from this, nearly 10 miles by sea, but it is often impossible owing to stormy weather to get there. I cannot express in strong enough terms the lamentable condition of this Parish & certainly there is a loud call for something being done. The people are very poor & cannot procure the services of a Medical Man who ought to be resident in Walls the principal part of the Parish. There is no doubt that human life is sacrificed by reason of the want of medical aid. There is a woman here who practices midwifery & can take blood², but who does not profess a knowledge of medicine. One Heritor³ occasionally resides here Mr Heddle of Melsetter

5. Is there any complaint among the people 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?

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

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?

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

[[Additional Text]]

William Anderson Minr of Walls & [1 word illegible.]

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Explanatory notes:

1. Answer continues through all the boxes.
2. 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.
3. 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.