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"Survey return from John D. Ferguson"
Dunvegan, Skye.
1851.
RCP/COL/4/8/240
John D. Ferguson was a medical practitioner in Dunvegan, Skye.
Dunvegan was a village within the parish of Kilmuir in the historic County of Inverness. For further information on the whole parish, see the entry for Kilmuir.
[[Addressee]]
Dr. Ferguson
Dunvegan
Skye
[[Survey]]
QUERIES
1. How long have you practiced in the locality you at present occupy?
Six years -
2. What are the ordinary and what the greatest distances which you have to travel in visiting patients?
ordinary distances, from 6 to 12 miles, varying
from that, to 60 – the latter distance generally once a month -
x1 3. What means of conveyance do you employ in going long journeys?
[No text]
4. What is the state of the roads in your neighbourhood?
within 30 miles, good, beyond
that, the road is over hill country and very rugged. -
5. Is the position of medical men in general in your quarter improved, or otherwise, of late years?
decidedly, improved, in general,
over the Hebrides -
6. Supposing the people of the Highlands and Islands were generally able to pay for medical
advice, according to rates usually observed in other parts of the kingdom, what extent of
country in your locality would you regard as sufficient to occupy a single practitioner
fully?
the population is so much scattered in
this locality, and the [healths], generally speaking,
so good, that any given district of my present location2
would not, occupy a single practitioner fully, even
were there more than a usual ammount3 of Sickness
x4 7. Mention, if you please, any special hardships incident to your situation, such as you think
might be remedied by some general measure or enactment?
[No text]
[[Additional text]]
x q3 – From the peculiar nature of the country, a long
journey, is usually performed thus, - Gig5 – then, boating
& finally, crossing Hills, by, Saddle, -
x 7th The people, (that is, the crofters) being so poor, are unable
to pay either for attendance or Medicines, consequently,
a practitioner here must give everything for nothing here
to become popular.
John D Ferguson Surgeon
PS I would respectfully suggest, - to the
Committee, that, say two, of its Members, visit the
Hebrides, and which would be of more real
benefit, than any answers, which can be given
to queries – JDF.6
Dunvegan Cottage
29th August/517
Explanatory notes:
1. ‘x’ in the left hand margin to indicate that it is written below the Queries.
2. Continues into answer section for Query 7.
3. Misspelling of “amount”.
4. ‘x’ in the left hand margin indicates that the answer is written after the answer to Query 3 below the queries.
5. A gig is a light two-wheeled carriage pulled by one horse.
6. Written on a slip of paper attached to the survey.
7. Written on addressee page.
Remote & Rural Remedies
