CD2

(51 mins)
 

2/1

LYNTON COTTAGE HOSPITAL

Initially Cottage Hospital had four bedded ward for men, four bedded ward for women, quite a good casualty room, same as now, but not much else. Little room just inside the door was office and everything else. EM used to do deliveries in what amounted to the corridor, now passage to back. Very busy. Casualty room more than justified itself, hardly a day passed without EM sewing somebody up or reducing a dislocation. Fairly early on they added maternity block, after they stopped doing midder became another nice big ward at back. Later still added another block at side, so doubled its size in EM's time. Done largely through public prescription, extremely cheaply by local builders. They did midder until, he thinks in would have been 1970 or soon after.

They had a matron and variable number of nurses. Hospital officially under guidance of North Devon Infirmary, but EM thinks only because in National Health Service somebody had to have responsibility, but apart from that he had a free hand. As far as professional side of it went they ran it.
 

2/2

NEW HEALTH CENTRE / RECEPTIONIST / COTTAGE HOSPITAL

Building's still there. There was an absurd bureaucratic decision to close it. EM not absolutely criticising that as he can see it wasn't as necessary as in his day when it would have been fatal to have missed it out. But plans for it seem absurd. Plans to move health centre [to cottage hospital]. They were offered health centre in 1966. Dr Nightingale quite anxious to sell his absurdly large house, 19^th century rectory originally. EM can remember going down to Ipplepen and seeing the one health centre in Devon, much impressed and they signed up on the spot. Over the years they made it as workable as they could one way or another and indeed only last year Roger, EM's ex-partner (now running practice with John, his now partner) extended it and made it absolutely to their liking. Now bureaucrats say it must be housed in cottage hospital, which is completely unsuitable. Not much else goes on in cottage hospital though they've still got nurses running around. EM thinks they must be spending much more money on pretending it's there than if they'd left things in status quo. He doesn't know what's going to happen there. It's not being used as a hospital, but he's not really sure.

New health centre absolutely wonderful, all sorts of things sprang from it. They were offered an electrocardiogram. He jumped at that and went on excellent course to brush up on elementary training he'd had at the London. They used to take their own electrocardiograms and he thinks got more or less adept at reading them. To have separate properly equipped examination room a godsend. People coming to surgery adapted perfectly well. They had a very efficient woman from long standing local family as receptionist who knew absolutely everyone. Apart from knowing everyone she would tell EM very helpful things about them. Called Marian Chubb. Never a gossip but also knew who was whose second cousin, quite helpful at times.

Has forgotten precisely what they had to pay, but actual accountancy was done by National Health Unit in Exeter, who were very helpful.

Doesn't think new health centre effected number of house visits, except in so far as he could do things in health centre which would have been difficult to do in Neesworth [previous surgery] and people appreciated that. Thinks enormous number of calls at the beginning dwindled merely because people became more mobile and more used to idea of leaving the village. [Back to top]
 

2/3

EARLY TRAINING / OPTHALMOLOGY / MAKING DECISIONS

Learnt basics of great variety of things he had to do at hospital in London. One of the house jobs which was extremely useful was ophthalmic job. He was ophthalmic house surgeon with a couple of very good and indeed probably internationally known chiefs who taught him an awful lot and let him do minor eye operations. Which stood him in very good stead because there was no ophthalmologist in Barnstaple and anything that a GP couldn't cope with had to go to Exeter. Did all sorts of things. One of favourite things, not very difficult [laughs], was when parents brought very worried little boy, about 10, into hospital. They'd been to Ilfracombe zoo and little boy had got too close and pelican had pecked him in the eye. It looked as though it had wrenched the eye out. Careful examination showed that eye was perfectly intact but pelican had torn the conjunctiva away. So EM swabbed it out, gave local anaesthetic, pieced it together, put running stitch in (one of the tricks he'd been shown at the London so you didn't have to knot it), put appropriate medication in, put big pad and bandage on and said 'it'll be all right, bring him back here in seven days time and I'll take the bandage off'. When he took bandage off by bit of luck running stitch had stuck to swab, so when he pulled it off there was an apparently completely intact eye [laughs]. Very easy, but quite impressive.

There must have been times when he had to deal with things he'd not done before. Did all sorts of things that wouldn't really be admissible now, now that they've got proper hospital in Barnstaple and quick transport. Nothing very clever but remembers doing paracentesis, draining fluid, while someone was holding a storm lantern in a cottage. He would have had to make a decision whether or not to do it there and then. [Back to top]
 

2/4

DR NIGHTINGALE / BECOMING A PARTNER

Worked very closely with Dr Nightingale. EM was doing more and more, then did all the morning surgeries and he undertook the evening ones which gave EM more time to do calls. Started at 9 o'clock and about 10.15 if he hadn't finished, and he generally hadn't, Dr N came in and they conferred on the day. So in quite close touch. Not very much affected by seeing how Dr N worked. Dr N, and all doctors at NDI, were trained pre-antibiotics, which must have made a difference to their outlook. Wouldn't have been trained to use an electrocardiogram. In fact the whole of medicine was revolutionised since before the war. So thinks Dr N quite happy for EM to cope as he thought fit, he didn't interfere in any way. Supposes Dr N saw him as young blood.

Doesn't think there was any conflict between the two ways of looking things, certainly not open. Thinks Dr N half resented National Health but honest enough to admit he wasn't sure how he would have got on financially without NHS. Saw that it was the making of his practice anyway, felt he would be better off financially, but didn't like being taken over. Before he had his coronary saw himself as good old-fashioned doctor. Sometimes rode his horse on his rounds. Went hunting when he felt like it. EM his assistant only for a year because Dr N was whipped off to St Thomas's with his coronary. EM kept practice going single handed as an emergency, with locum, and when Dr N came back it was as much to his advantage as to EM's to offer him the partnership. If he hadn't EM would have moved on, which had been the first intention. Jenny [His wife] had been happy to come to Lynton but had said she didn't want to stay there all her life. In those days not so easy to get a partnership, so Jenny agreed it would be sense to take it.

Doesn't think it was a very difficult decision, it seemed the obvious thing to do. He had nowhere in mind to move to, the whole thing was a matter of chance. You go where there's an opportunity. [Back to top]
 

2/5

MINESWEEPER INCIDENT

Never had a sea disaster. Had prestigious title, forgotten what, but it amounted to Her Majesty's Harbour Medical Superintendent of Lynmouth [laughs]. It meant nothing, except he got some wonderful forms, sure they were printed in Nelson's day, which he still has. Only called out once in his capacity, possible he could have claimed fee but had forgotten he had the rank. He'd just finished evening surgery and come home for supper when phone rang. Jenny answered and said 'you'll like this one. There's a mine sweeper off Lynmouth with a man who's gone mad on board. They've sent a boat in to pick you up'. So he went down. Very rough sea. He had his own little sailing boat in harbour but courtesy demanded he went in tin bath tub. He can remember chugging out on it, thinking he'd be much happier on his own boat. Quite difficult to scramble on board mine sweeper with his bag, but did. There was a chap who was quite clearly a schizophrenic, who had gone a bit berserk, tearing place to pieces. So EM said to captain 'I want a strong chap to restrain him'. (He was Stoker, though EM doesn't know what that meant on a modern boat). They got a couple of his mates and although it was probably an assault EM slid in a large intravenous injection of largactil which quietened him beautifully. And so they put him down and captain when all was quiet asked him into his cabin for a drink. EM said 'you've got to unload him as quickly as you can before the largactil wears off  if possible.  You can't bring him ashore here, go straight back to Bristol as fast as you reasonably can and unload him there'. He scribbled out what he'd done, gave it to him and went back in his tin bath tub. [Back to top]
 

2/6

MENTAL HEALTH

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EM responsible for everything in the area, including mental health. Mental health worried him very much. No really good provision for it. Did later on have psychiatrist who would do calls but frankly it wasn't a great deal of help. Quite often they would have people having sort of mental relapse so it was impossible to maintain them in the community at that moment. It was before days of social service people. There was a social services, but there was a chap called the Duly Authorised Officer, straight out of Dickens. He would come out when asked and portentously sign a form and EM responsible for getting the patient away. Exminster, Exeter, the mental hospital. EM didn't like doing it at all, thinks it was a proper Dickensian workhouse type of place but he didn't see any alternative. People did come back sobered from it, but why he wasn't quite sure, but didn't like that at all, but nothing else for him to do. EM would then take up their care when they came back. They never bore him any resentment and the families were grateful that they came back more or less all right.

EM still practising when things started to change. Retired at end of 1982. Not sure that things changed all that dramatically. Didn't have a duly authorised officer, had whatever social worker was on duty but quite frankly was smoother with duly authorised officer. Duly authorised officer did exactly as I asked him; social workers tended to argue without suggesting alternative. Treatment in hospital improved enormously. Doesn't remember a psychiatric nurse; had a very good health visitor. [Back to top]
 

2/7

RETIREMENT/SOCIAL SERVICES EXAMINATIONS

After Dr Nightingale retired practice devolved automatically on EM. He offered Dr Ferrar a partnership straight away. No difference being in control, in sense he was not controlled, so whether he was officially in control or not didn't make much difference, he did exactly as he thought fit.

At 65 he thought he would go on for ever (as he is sure he will), thought perhaps he'd retire at 70, but he was perfectly all right. Had more time off with a fully active younger partner. Used to walk miles on moor. Couple of years went on and thought had better retire at some point if only from Roger's point of view. At beginning of winter 1982 can remember thinking it's a bit much. Inevitably in the night phone went and he drove out to Lee Abbey. Lee Abbey splendid institution, he applauds it, but thinks people who go there in need of duly authorised officer [laughs]. This was as usual completely unnecessary call, cold night, raining like mad, outrageously unnecessary call. Drove back thinking 'I'm going to retire'. Sure that wasn't the real reason but it was the moment he decided he would.

When retired accepted job of doing examinations for social services. Amazed by enormous amount of fees they were prepared to pay him for things he would probably have done for nothing if they had asked him, and which he certainly used to do for nothing. He assessed people who were applying for some sort of assistance. He presumes they were short of people to do examinations because he's ventured into Cornwall, into Somerset, not so far off Exmoor because probably the Exeter doctors were happy to do it). But quite long drives. He'd take history, fill out forms and got good payment for mileage. People he'd not seen before. Was perfectly happy. Reckoned that after 30 years of driving round [his patch] in every sort of weather he was perfectly all right.

[short break for coffee] [Back to top]
 

2/8

BREAKING BACK

Story about breaking back in car accident in 1995 (for second time), and subsequent mis-diagnosis at Barnstaple hospital, leading to painful back and lack of mobility now [told as an aside over coffee]. [Back to top]
 

2/9

DICK RAWLE /SANTI LAFUENTE / DICK FRENCH / ADA RICHARDS

Knew over 30 years everybody on northern side of moor. There were some quite remarkable people. Dick Rawle at Highley. Rawles have been in Devon probably since Doomsday book, but there was certainly a Rawle who was a forester of the Royal Forest in, he thinks, the 14^th century. Dick a proper Exmoor chap. Doesn't know what was special. He seemed to exemplify Exmoor. EM thinks he was brought up at Exford and then acquired Driver, right on top of the moor near Simonsbath. He initiated EM into the art of cutting turf (peat) because he had commoners rights to cut turf. He took EM up on the moor and showed him how to cut turf properly. Introduced EM to his brother-in-law. Santi [La]fuente was a 15 year old boy in Spain when Civil War broke out. He was evacuated, not quite sure how, to England to avoid the war and adopted by the Rawle family. In the course of time married Dick's sister, or possibly cousin, and now is more Exmoor than anything else. There's a photograph of him in the museum showing EM how to dig turf.

All sorts of other people. There was a wonderful chap called Dick French, at Brendon Barton. Quite a celebrated chap on the moor, who died only a year or two ago. A cousin, EM thinks, of Bert French. Dick kept open house at Brendon Barton, particularly after pony round ups. All ponies on moor belong to someone or other and mares have a stamp and foals running with mares belongs to it. Last Saturday in October is pony round up. The following Monday they are sold, or can be sold, at Brendon which used to be a day out in itself. Then on Thursday they go to Bampton fair, or used to. Dick took EM once to Bampton. They were riotous times at the farm. Dick seemed to be known by everybody. Lots of people from London would come down and stay for a few days. A great loss when Dick died.

Used to do calls on Ada Richards (née French) at Yearnor Farm. Remembers Ada and her husband. He managed even when he was running whole practice to have Thursday afternoon off generally. He and Jenny used to go for a walk on the moor. Remembers one day somewhere fairly out of the way up on Porlock side of the moor. They parked car, went for walk, got back to car and there was Ada standing by the car. She said 'oh doctor, I saw your car' and launched into a medical discussion [laughs]. [Back to top]
 

2/10

RIDING WITH MISS LEE

Didn't really have any spare time. Apart from Thursday afternoon, which was spent in all sorts of ways, walking on moor in summer, taking children to Wollacombe. He did a little riding. One of his patients was a wonderful woman too. She lived at Higher Bodley farm by herself with three horses. Getting old, had some difficulty getting on a horse but no difficulty at all riding down to Parracombe Post Office, making her purchases and riding back home again. (Called Miss Lee, EM can't remember her first name). She had an accident when her favourite horse Patrick stepped on her thigh and produced nasty wound which she neglected entirely until whole thing ulcerated and she regarded that as hand of God and that was the end. It was Dick Rawle's wife Lettie who made her go to EM, or rather made her allow him to go and see her. A filthy wound, has never seen anything quite like it. But with lots of attention, antibiotics and dressings it healed. She thought that was a minor miracle.

Because he did his Wednesday afternoon surgery and Ann [daughter] by this time was rising five, just pre-school, was very interested in horses she suggested that before surgery he drop Jenny and Ann, nip off to surgery, come back and have tea with her. Became a Wednesday afternoon ritual. She taught Ann to ride decently and even to jump over fallen logs. Jenny was enticed to sit on one of the other horses [laughs]. Then she suggested he should go riding with her occasionally. Sometimes when he could spare a Thursday afternoon he would go riding with her and they rode miles over the hills round Parracombe. [Back to top]