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Tha ceud is ochdad bliadhna air a dhol seachad on a dh’fhosgail Taigh-eiridinn a’ Chinn a Tuath – The Royal Northern Infirmary – ann an Inbhir Nis. Tha an togalach faisg air Taigh-cluiche Eden Court. Tha e gu math snasail. 

Aig deireadh an ochdamh linn deug, bha uaislean is bàillidhean Inbhir Nis dhen bheachd gun robh am baile airidh air ospadal mòr. Chuir am Pròbhaist, Uilleam Inglis, agus feadhainn eile fios a-mach, ag iarraidh air daoine beartach airgead a thoirt seachad. Cha robh siostam slàinte poblach ann aig an àm.

Ach cò às a thàinig an t-airgead? Uill, thàinig cuid mhath dheth o Albannaich anns na h-Innseachan an Iar. Is cinnteach gun robh feadhainn dhiubh a’ dèanamh phrothaidean à tràilleachd. Thàinig airgead cuideachd o dhaoine a bha ann an Arm Bhreatainn ann am Bengal agus Canada.

Dh’fhosgail an taigh-eiridinn anns a’ Chèitean ochd ceud deug ’s a ceithir (1804). Thuirt na h-ùghdarrasan gum biodh àiteachan ann airson seasgad euslainteach agus suas ri fichead duine a bha a’ fulang le tinneas-inntinn.

Os cionn dòras mòr an togalaich, tha sgrìobhadh. Ach tha dà mhearachd ann. Tha e ag ràdh gun do dh’fhosgail an togalach ann an ochd ceud deug ’s a trì (1803). Ach ’s ann an ochd ceud deug ’s a ceithir (1804) a dh’fhosgail e. Tha e ag ràdh cuideachd gun robh Uilleam Inglis na phròbhaist aig an àm. Ach chaochail Mgr Inglis bochd ann an ochd ceud deug ’s a h-aon (1801).

B’ i a’ chiad euslainteach Ealasaid Rothach à Siorrachd Rois. Bha a glùin air a dhol a dh’at. Fhad ’s a bha i san ospadal, thàinig cuideigin a-steach a bha a’ fulang leis an fhiabhras-bhallach no typhus. Bha dìreach aon tè-eiridinn ag obair ann agus ghabh ise an galar. Nuair a bha Ealasaid Rothach na b’ fheàrr, cha deach i dhachaigh. Dh’fhuirich i san ospadal agus dh’obraich i fhèin mar tè-eiridinn.

Bha Taigh-eiridinn a’ Chinn a Tuath a’ dèiligeadh ri euslaintich à sgìre mhòr. Bha ceist ann mun Ghàidhlig. Agus bha poileasaidh cànain làidir aca. Innsidh mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn anns an ath Litir.

180 years have elapsed since the Royal Northern Infirmary opened in Inverness. The building is close to Eden Court Theatre. It is particularly elegant.

At the end of the eighteenth century, the gentry and baillies [local government leaders] of Inverness thought the town was worthy of a big hospital. The Provost, William Inglis, and others sent out requests to wealthy people to donate money. There was no public health system at the time.

But where did the money come from? Well, a lot of it came from Scots in the West Indies. It’s certain that some of them were profiting from slavery. Money also came from people who were in the British Army in Bengal and Canada.

The infirmary opened in May 1804. The authorities said that there would be places there for sixty patients and up to twenty people that were suffering from mental illness.

Above the front door of the building, there is writing. But there are two mistakes in it. It says that the building opened in 1803. But it was in 1804 that it opened. It also says that William Inglis was the provost at the time. But poor Mr Inglis died in 1801.

The first patient was Elspet Munro from Ross-shire. Her knee was swollen. While she was in the hospital, somebody came in who was suffering from typhus. There was only one nurse working there and she contracted the disease. When Elspet Munro was better, she didn’t go home. She stayed in the hospital and worked as a nurse.

The Royal Northern Infirmary was dealing with patients from a large area. There was a question about Gaelic. And they had a strong language policy. I’ll tell you about it in the next Litir.