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"Survey return from Robert Wilson"
North Ronaldsay, Orkney.
1850.
RCP/COL/4/8/180
Robert Wilson was a church minister in Orkney.
North Ronaldsay (also known as North Ronaldshay) is an island and was a quoad sacra parish within the Cross and Burness parish on the Orkney Islands. In 1831, the population was 522. The main industry was agriculture.
[[Addressee]]
The Revd
Robert Wilson
North Ronaldsay
Kirkwall
[[Survey]]
QUERIES
1. How many Medical Men practice within the Parish of North Ronaldsay?
None
2. The Names and Addresses of these.
[no text]
3. Has the number increased or diminished of late years?
So far as I know none has ever been located within this island
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?
There is no complaint, because they consider themselves totally unable to support any physician, never enjoyed the advantage of a resident one & can see no prospect of obtaining one –
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 think that unquestionably such cases have occurred, more however in the Surgical than in the Medical department – without alluding to cases which have arisen under the hands of other clergyman, I may say that at present one of hip joints disease proceeding from dislocation1 is under my own special care, which had my Surgical Knowledge been greater, would not have become so troublesome, most probably, as it now seems likely to be -
7. To what extent is the deficiency of qualified Practitioners made up by the efforts of other parties?
7. The deficiency is made up by the attendance of two clergymen, one congregated with the Established, another (myself) of the Free Church – we arrived in the island, ignorant of the Medical Art, & with some2 popular books study the cases chiefly as they arise – which is sometimes attended with a great deal of anxiety & perplexity – Sometimes during the mild weather the physician of the neighbouring island Sanday may be brought across - But this is very rarely done.
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.I know no measure, which would be truly beneficial unless the residency of a regular practitioner among3 us. Failing this, perhaps the transmission of some manageable surgical instruments to us, who practise – or some books or codes of directions, Known by you to be specially useful & which may not have come under our notice might be serviceable - our island about 4 or 5 miles long & from 2 to 3 miles broad is separated from4 the neighbouring island Sanday by a firth, which, especially during winter months, cannot be crossed sometimes for 2 or 3 weeks at a time. This in a great measure deprives us of the[1 word illegible]services of any physician however valuable who might5 reside in Sanday - Sometimes – not foreseeing the cases which may arise, and being provided only with a supply of the more common medicines – I find myself hampered in my efforts for the restoration of afflicted ones – so that not only our deficiency of medical knowledge but our utter inability at times to obtain in due season the medicines which we desiderate operates as a hindrance to our success – Still, we cannot but gratefully acknowledge the success with which God has been pleased to crown our efforts in various instances.
9. What Heritors6 are resident, either generally or occasionally, in your Parish?
- none-7
[[Additional Text]]
R. Wilson8
Explanatory notes:
1. Continues into answer box for query 7.
2. Continues into answer box for query 8.
3. Continues into answer box for query 9.
4. Continues into space below box.
5. Continues onto addressee page.
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.
7. Written in the printed query box for 9 as the answer to query 8 continues into the answer box for query 9.
8. Written on addressee page.
Remote & Rural Remedies
