1298: Taigh-eiridinn a’ Chinn a Tuath (2)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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Taigh-eiridinn a’ Chinn a Tuath (2)
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.
Tha na h-ùghdaran ag innse dhuinn gun robh e fìor chudromach gum biodh Gàidhlig aig an luchd-obrach. Am measg nan nursaichean, bha e riatanach. Aig an àm sin, 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.
Ach chan e na nursaichean a-mhàin a dh’fheumadh a bhith fileanta ann an Gàidhlig. Bha lannsair ann a bha os cionn chàich anns an ospadal. 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 na chlaigeann.
Thathar ag innse dhuinn, ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad ʼs a còig (1845), gun d’ fhuair banaltram a’ bhròg a chionn ʼs gun robh i a’ cleachdadh fìor dhroch chainnt. Ach chan eilear ag innse dhuinn co-dhiù bha i a’ bruidhinn ann an Gàidhlig no Beurla!
Cha robh siostam slàinte poblach ann aig an àm, agus cha robh e furasta airgead gu leòr fhaighinn airson gnothaichean a chumail a dol. Cha robh airgead gu leòr aig mòran airson ùine a chur seachad anns an ospadal. Bha cuid de dhaoine beartach a’ cur airgead dhan ospadal, ge-tà. B’ e eisimpleir dhiubh Lachlan Mac an Tòisich às an Rathaig Mhòir. ʼS e oighreachd phrìobhaideach a bh’ anns an Rathaig Mhòir an uair sin – cha robh sgeul air ospadal mòr ann. Chuir Mac an Tòisich airgead dhachaigh à Beangal airson an taigh-eiridinn. A rèir nan ùghdaran, chaidh dàn Gàidhlig a sgrìobhadh, a’ moladh fialaidheachd Mhic an Tòisich.
Uaireannan, ʼs iad an fheadhainn a bha a’ fastadh luchd-obrach a bha a’ paigheadh air an son – mar eisimpleir an t-Arm. Cuideachd, a’ chompanaidh a bha a’ togail a’ Chanàil Chailleannaich. Bha aonta ann eadar iad fhèin agus an taigh-eiridinn airson luchd-obrach a dh’fheumadh a dhol don ospadal. Ach dh’fheumadh iad cuideachd pàigheadh airson cosgaisean tiodhlacaidh nam biodh euslainteach a’ bàsachadh anns an ospadal. Bhiodh na h-eaglaisean a’ cruinneachadh airgead air an t-Sàbaid agus bha bogsa-cathrannais airson airgead 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 ann mar euslaintich oir bha cliù aig taighean-eiridinn gum biodh daoine a’ bàsachadh ann. Mar eisimpleir anns a’ bhliadhna ochd ceud deug ʼs a seachd (1807) cha robh ann an Taigh-eiridinn a’ Chinn a Tuath – fad na bliadhna – ach trithead ʼs a ceithir euslaintich. Cha robh ospadalan aig an àm sin uabhasach deònach euslaintich a ghabhail nam biodh iad faisg air a’ bhàs. Chuireadh sin ri beachd a’ phobaill gur e àite-bàis a bh’ ann an ospadal seach àite-leigheis.
Mar sin, agus le deagh leigheas, ʼs e glè bheag de dh’euslaintich a bha a’ faighinn bàs ann an Taigh-eiridinn a’ Chinn a Tuath anns na bliadhnaichean sin. Taobh a-staigh còig bliadhna fichead, dh’atharraich beachd a’ phobaill. Bha iad a-nise na bu deònaiche dhol don ospadal airson leigheas.
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.
Faclan na Litreach: Taigh-eiridinn a’ Chinn a Tuath: The (Royal) Northern Infirmary; ùghdaran: authors; ceathradan: forties; Lachlan Mac an Tòisich: Lachlan Mackintosh; fialaidheachd: generosity; cliù: reputation.
Abairtean na Litreach: Am measg nan nursaichean, bha e riatanach: among the nurses it was compulsory; chan e na nursaichean a-mhàin a dh’fheumadh a bhith fileanta: it wasn’t just the nurses that had to be fluent; nuair a chaidh cuideigin a chur don dreuchd sin, agus e gun Ghàidhlig na chlaigeann: when somebody was appointed to that post who had no Gaelic (‘in his skull’); gun d’ fhuair banaltram a’ bhròg: that a nurse was sacked (‘got the boot’); bha cuid de dhaoine beartach a’ cur airgead thuca: some wealthy people were sending money to them; ʼs e oighreachd phrìobhaideach a bh’ anns an Rathaig Mhòir: Raigmore was a private estate; ʼs iad an fheadhainn a bha a’ fastadh luchd-obrach a bha a’ pàigheadh air an son – mar eisimpleir an t-Arm: it’s the ones that were employing workers that were paying for them – such as the Army; a’ chompanaidh a bha a’ togail a’ Chanàil Chailleannaich: the company that was building the Caledonian Canal; airson cosgaisean tiodhlacaidh nam biodh euslainteach a’ bàsachadh anns an ospadal: for funeral costs if a patient died in the hospital; bha bogsa-cathrannais airson airgead ann an ursainn a’ gheata aig beulaibh an togalaich: there was a charity box for money in the gatepost in the front of the building; nam biodh iad faisg air a’ bhàs: if they were close to death; dh’atharraich beachd a’ phobaill: the people’s opinion changed.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bha lannsair ann a bha os cionn chàich: there was a surgeon who was in charge. Os cionn chàich means literally ‘above all the others’. Càch means ‘the others, the rest of the people’ and is unusual in that it does not employ the article. Bha eagal am beatha air càch ‘the others were petrified’; thoir do chàch e ‘give it to the others’. In the genitive form it is chàich (and always lenited because of its plural meaning). Ann am beachd chàich … ‘in the others’ opinion; am measg chàich ‘among the others’; bha e thar chàich ‘he was above all the others’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Abair an dà latha a thàinig air na taighean-eiridinn againn bhon uair sin: what a change has taken place in our hospitals since then.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 994
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