Lachlan Grant

Lachlan Grant {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MD}} (1871 – 31 May 1945) was a Scottish medical doctor, medical scientist, general practitioner and occupational physician. For more than 40 years, he worked in Ballachulish, a rural part of the Highlands in Scotland.

Early life

He was born in Johnstone in 1871, moving to Ballachulish when he was nine years of age and then educated at Ballachulish Public School.{{cite news |url=http://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/what-s-on/leisure/talent-and-tenacity-of-dr-lachlan-grant-1-3248123 |title=Talent and Tenacity of Dr Lachlan Grant |work=Stornoway Gazette |date=27 December 2013 |access-date=12 January 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113000803/http://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/what-s-on/leisure/talent-and-tenacity-of-dr-lachlan-grant-1-3248123 |archive-date=13 January 2015 |df=dmy-all }} He studied medicine at University of Edinburgh Medical School, graduating with a B.M., C.M. (with distinction) in 1894 and then a M.D. in 1896, with a thesis on ophthalmic work.{{cite web |url=http://www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/cnmi/inventories/acc12187.pdf |title=Inventory. Acc.12187. Dr Lachlan Grant, MD |publisher=National Library of Scotland |access-date=15 January 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031848/http://www.nls.uk/catalogues/online/cnmi/inventories/acc12187.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |df=dmy-all }}{{cite journal |url=http://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC2057605&blobtype=pdf |title=Obituary: Dr Lachlan Grant |journal=British Medical Journal |date=16 June 1945| volume=1 |issue=4406 |pmc=2057605|pages=858–859|doi=10.1136/bmj.1.4406.858}}{{Cite journal|last=Grant|first=Lachlan|date=1896|title=Notes and observations on ophthalmic work|journal=MD Thesis|language=en|hdl=1842/26555}}

Medical career

He returned to Ballachulish in the late 1890s. In 1900 he entered employment as medical officer for the workers at the Ballachulish Slate Quarries Company.{{cite journal |url=http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(01)86556-9/abstract |title=The Ballachulish Case |journal=The Lancet | volume=161 |issue=4165 |date=27 June 1903 |pages=1821–1822 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(01)86556-9|url-access=subscription }} The company tried to dismiss Grant in 1902 but the workers gathered and expressed their support for Grant.{{cite journal |url=http://www.bmj.com/content/2/2174/622 |title=The Ballachulish Quarry Company and its medical officer |journal=British Medical Journal |date=30 August 1902 |volume=2 |issue=2174 |pages=625–626 |doi=10.1136/bmj.2.2174.622 |s2cid=220205993 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924041214/http://www.bmj.com/content/2/2174/622 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |df=dmy-all }} The workers stood by him and at the end of 1903 the directors of the company signed an agreement allowing him to return to his position.{{cite journal |url=http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(00)75936-8/abstract |title=The case of Dr. Lachlan Grant |journal=The Lancet |volume=162 |issue=4190 |page=1740 |date=19 December 1903 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(00)75936-8|url-access=subscription }} In 1930 he became the Medical Officer of Health for British Aluminium.{{cite journal |title=Dr Lachlan Grant (1871–1945) |first1=James |last1=Douglas |first2=Annie |last2=Tindley |first3=Alastair |last3=Smyth |journal=Occupational Medicine |date=June 2014 |volume=64 |issue=4 |pages=233–234 |doi=10.1093/occmed/kqu070|pmid=24850814 |doi-access=free }}

He took a Diploma in Public Health in 1911.

He gave evidence to the committee chaired by Sir John Dewar which had been set up to examine the state of healthcare provision in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The findings, published in 1912, known as the Dewar Report, eventually leading to the establishment of the Highlands and Islands Medical Service.

In 1921 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

He built a small laboratory beside his surgery which allowed him to be involved in some research about tuberculosis.{{cite journal |title=Dr Lachlan Grant of Ballachulish, c.1870–1945: A One-day Workshop, 10 September 2011 |first1=Annie |last1=Tindley |first2=Karly |last2=Kehoe |journal=Journal of Scottish Historical Studies |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=74–86 |date= May 2012 |doi=10.3366/jshs.2012.0036}}

Social reform

He is also known for his efforts towards economic and social development in the Highlands.{{cite web |url=http://www.gcu.ac.uk/cshhh/newsevents/managed/events/bydate/2011/2/name,27268,en.html |title=Dr Lachlan Grant of Ballachulish: A One Day Workshop |publisher=Glasgow Caledonian University |date=2011 |access-date=12 January 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112235527/http://www.gcu.ac.uk/cshhh/newsevents/managed/events/bydate/2011/2/name,27268,en.html |archive-date=12 January 2015 |df=dmy-all }} In 1907 he had been the principal speaker at a meeting of the Crofters' and Cottars' Association held in Oban and spoke out about how depopulation was affecting the Highlands.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=odhAAAAAIBAJ&pg=4258%2C5420859 |title=General Scottish News: Depopulation in the Highlands |work=The Herald |page=11 |date=19 February 1907 |access-date=13 January 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516220152/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=odhAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y6YMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4258%2C5420859 |archive-date=16 May 2017 |df=dmy-all }} He was co-founder of the Highland Development League.{{cite web |url=http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/events/reports/2012-2013/Lochaber_For_Benefit_of_Mankind.pdf |title=RSE @ Lochaber Lecture. For the Benefit of Mankind: Industrialisation, Environment and the Politics of Highland Development |author=Dr Andrew Perchard |publisher=Royal Society of Edinburgh |date=4 February 2013 |access-date=13 January 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114013015/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/events/reports/2012-2013/Lochaber_For_Benefit_of_Mankind.pdf |archive-date=14 January 2015 |df=dmy-all }} In 1936 he wrote a pamphlet entitled the “New Deal” in which he made suggestions towards a policy for development of the Highlands.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nZ9AAAAAIBAJ&pg=4571%2C2645818 |title=The Scottish Highlands: Aims of the "New Deal" Movement. Plans for bringing back prosperity to the glens |work=The Herald |page=10 |date=18 January 1936 |access-date=13 January 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516210048/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nZ9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z6UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4571%2C2645818 |archive-date=16 May 2017 |df=dmy-all }} This led the Highland Economic Committee to issue a report in November 1938{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19381231&id=tUVAAAAAIBAJ&pg=1861,4848444 |title=Development of the Highlands: Dr Lachlan Grant and the "Next Task" |work=The Herald |page=6 |date=31 December 1938 |access-date=13 January 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516220059/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19381231&id=tUVAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wIQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1861,4848444 |archive-date=16 May 2017 |df=dmy-all }} but Grant had concerns that many smallholders and crofters wouldn’t qualify for a ploughing scheme that the Government had proposed.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0BU1AAAAIBAJ&pg=2396%2C1209317 |title=Development of the Highlands: Apathy deplored by Dr Grant. |work=The Herald |page=8 |date=6 May 1939 |access-date=14 January 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516223030/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0BU1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=6qULAAAAIBAJ&pg=2396%2C1209317 |archive-date=16 May 2017 |df=dmy-all }}

Grant died in Ballachulish on 31 May 1945.

Memorial

In 2011 a slate monument was erected in Ballachulish to commemorate Grant and another local man Angus Clark who both fought for better conditions for workers.{{cite news |url=http://www.highland-news.co.uk/Home/Memorial-honours-quarry-dispute-duo-6137936.htm |title=Memorial honours quarry dispute duo |first=Stuart |last=Taylor |work=Highland News |date= 28 August 2010 |access-date=12 January 2015}}

Lachlan Grant

Early life

Medical career

Social reform

Memorial

References

Further reading