Remote & Rural Remedies

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"Survey return from John Ingram"

Unst, Shetland.

1850.

RCP/COL/4/8/197

John Ingram was a church minister in Unst.

Unst was a parish in Shetland. In 1831, the population was 2909. A population increase was attributed in part to vaccinations. The main industry was fishery, with some inhabitants also working as farmers and tradespeople.

[[Addressee]]
The Revd
John Ingram
Unst

Lerwick
[[Survey]]
QUERIES

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

Three.

2. The Names and Addresses of these.

James Smith, M.D. & S.
Lawrence Edmondston M.D.
Basil Spence, Surgeon –

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

The number has increased –

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

None have left the Parish.

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

No.

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 known, (and am aware that there always are) many cases of severe & protracted suffering, such as a Medical man might have been the means of alleviating- But medical men are so miserably remunerated owing to the poverty of the people - that they cannot afford to give the necessary medicine in many cases- I believe that in every case they wd cheerfully share their attendance Poor people often linger under disease which transmutes fatally without applying for medical aid - feeling their inability to pay

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

[no text]

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?

I believe that much suffering might be alleviated - and, humanly speaking many lives preserved - could means be found for supplying medicine, for those who are not able to purchase it.

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

The principal Heritors are
Captn. Cameron Mouat of Garth
Thomas Edmondston Esq. of Buness &
Mrs Spence of Hammer

[[Additional Text]]

Unst 18th Jany. 1851
John Ingram-

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 John Ingram"

Unst, Shetland.

1850.

John Ingram was a church minister in Unst.

Unst was a parish in Shetland. In 1831, the population was 2909. A population increase was attributed in part to vaccinations. The main industry was fishery, with some inhabitants also working as farmers and tradespeople.

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.