Remote & Rural Remedies

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"Survey return from W. S. Login"

Papa Westray, Orkney.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/186

W. S. Login was a church minister in Papa Westray.

Papa (also known as Papay) Westray was an island within the Westray parish in the Orkney Islands. The main parts of the island were cultivated with some tree plantations. There were also gray and flag-stone quarries.

[[Addressee]]
The Revd
W S Login
Papa Westray
Kirkwall

[[Survey]]
QUERIES

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

One medical man practices in this Island: but he resides in the adjoining Island of Westray at a distance of four miles from us, so that in stormy weather it is impossible to obtain his services & frequently indeed he cannot come when required in consequence of urgent cases on his own Island.

2. The Names and Addresses of these.

Mr William Rendal Surgeon Westray

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

Mr Rendal is the only medical man, I believe that has ever practiced on these Islands, & he has now done so for about fourteen or fifteen years

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

He has on two or three occasions been on the eve of leaving these Islands, in consequence of his inability to obtain from the people payment for his services.

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

The difficulty of procuring medical aid is felt by all the inhabitants of the Island to be a very serious hardship.

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?

During a stay of seven years on this Island I have known many cases where protracted suffering might have been alleviated had proper advice been at hand & I may add that I know one instance at least, in which in all probability – life might have been saved

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

I am compelled to render assistance in almost all cases of sickness that occur on the Island: but I am sorry to add that my medical skill is extremely defective + being acquired solely from the perusal of some medical books & the very imperfect observations I have made in the cases that came under my notice

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?

If a small salary could be obtained for our present medical man, it would be a great boon to these Islands, as it would enable him to keep a supply of medicines which he cannot do in present circumstances, and it would be of great importance to have a supply of medicines which might be dispensed at a cheap rate to the people. at present I do what I can to supply them but it is necessarily to a very limited extent

9. What Heritors¹ are resident, either generally or occasionally, in your Parish?

Thomas Trail Esq of Holland

[[Additional Text]]

9th Decr 1850
W S Login F.C. Minister

Explanatory notes:

1. 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 W. S. Login"

Papa Westray, Orkney.

1850.

W. S. Login was a church minister in Papa Westray.

Papa (also known as Papay) Westray was an island within the Westray parish in the Orkney Islands. The main parts of the island were cultivated with some tree plantations. There were also gray and flag-stone quarries.

1. 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.