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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu fhosgladh Taigh-eiridinn a’ Chinn a Tuath ann an Inbhir Nis. Tha an eachdraidh a’ tighinn bhon leabhar ‘The Hospitals of Inverness’ le Jim agus Steve Leslie.Ìý

Tha na h-ùghdaran ag innse dhuinn gun robh e cudromach gum biodh Gàidhlig aig an luchd-obrach. Am measg nan nursaichean, bha e riatanach. Tràth anns an naoidheamh linn deug, bha gu leòr de dhaoine air a’ Ghàidhealtachd aig nach robh Beurla. Bha sin fìor eadhon ann an Inbhir Nis fhèin.Ìý

Chan e na nursaichean a-mhàin a dh’fheumadh a bhith fileanta ann an Gàidhlig. Bha lannsair ann a bha os cionn chàich. Bha dùil gum biodh Gàidhlig aigesan cuideachd. Anns na ceathradan, dh’èirich connspaid nuair a chaidh cuideigin a chur don dreuchd sin, agus e gun Ghàidhlig.

Ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad ʼs a còig (1845), fhuair banaltram a’ bhròg a chionn ʼs gun robh i a’ cleachdadh droch chainnt. Ach chan eilear ag innse dhuinn an robh i a’ bruidhinn ann an Gàidhlig no Beurla!

Cha robh siostam slàinte poblach ann. Bha daoine beartach a’ cur airgead don ospadal. B’ e eisimpleir dhiubh Lachlan Mac an Tòisich às an Rathaig Mhòir. Chuir esan airgead dhachaigh à Beangal.

Uaireannan, ʼs iad an fheadhainn a bha a’ fastadh luchd-obrach a bha a’ pàigheadh air an son. Am measg sin, bha Arm Bhreatainn agus a’ chompanaidh a bha a’ togail a’ Chanàil Chailleannaich.Ìý

Bha na h-eaglaisean a’ cruinneachadh airgead airson an taigh-eiridinn air an t-Sàbaid. Agus bha bogsa-cathrannais ann an ursainn a’ gheata air beulaibh an togalaich. Tha e ann fhathast, ged nach bi daoine a’ cur airgead ann!

Cha robh an t-uabhas dhaoine a’ dol gu taighean-eiridinn mar euslaintich. Bha cliù aig na h-ospadalan gum biodh daoine a’ bàsachadh ann. Ach ʼs e glè bheag de dh’euslaintich a bha a’ faighinn bàs ann an Taigh-eiridinn a’ Chinn a Tuath. Le sin, mean air mhean, bha daoine na bu deònaiche a dhol ann mar euslaintich.Ìý

Rinn Jim agus Steve Leslie seoba mhath le sreath leabhraichean air eachdraidh ospadalan na Gàidhealtachd. Abair an dà latha a thàinig air na taighean-eiridinn againn bhon uair sin.

I was telling you about the opening of the (Royal) Northern Infirmary Inverness. The history comes from the book ‘The Hospitals of Inverness’ by Jim and Steve Leslie.

The authors tell us that it was important that the staff spoke Gaelic. Among the nurses it was compulsory. Early in the 19th century, there were plenty of people in the Highlands who did not speak English. That was true even in Inverness itself.

It wasn’t only the nurses who had to be fluent in Gaelic. There was a surgeon who was in charge [‘above the others’]. It was expected that he would also speak Gaelic. In the forties, a controversy arose when somebody was appointed to that post who did not speak Gaelic.

In 1845, a nurse was sacked for using bad language. But we are not told if she was speaking Gaelic or English!Ìý
There was no public health system. Wealthy people were sending the hospital money. An example [of them] was Lachlan Mackintosh of [‘from’]Raigmore. He sent money home from Bengal.

Sometimes it was the ones who were employing workers that were paying for them. Among them were the British Army and the company that was building the Caledonian Canal.

The churches were collecting money for the infirmary on Sundays. And there was a charity box in the gatepost in front of the building. It is still there, although people don’t put money in it!

Not so many people were going to infirmaries as patients. They had a reputation for people dying there. But it’s only a few patients that were dying in the Northern Infirmary. Thus, little by little, people were more willing to go there as patients.

Jim and Steve Leslie did a good job with a series of books about the history of Highland hospitals. What a change has come in our infirmaries since that time.