Irish-Language

The Bluffer gets an insight into the medical history of Belfast

<b>DAVID STEWART:</b> The head of the Healthy Cities project explains the contribution to medicine of United Irishman Dr William Drennan who was born in the manse of Rosemray Street Presbyterian church in Belfast
DAVID STEWART: The head of the Healthy Cities project explains the contribution to medicine of United Irishman Dr William Drennan who was born in the manse of Rosemray Street Presbyterian church in Belfast DAVID STEWART: The head of the Healthy Cities project explains the contribution to medicine of United Irishman Dr William Drennan who was born in the manse of Rosemray Street Presbyterian church in Belfast

GREETINGS to the ill and the hale and hearty alike, it’s another Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.

The Bluffer went on a guided tour in Belfast City Centre last week, visiting various sainchomharthaí - landmarks connected with the city’s medical history with the very knowledgeable David Stewart as our treoraí - a guide.

Leigheas is the Irish for medicine – the subject, not the stuff you take when you’re ill, that’s cógas –  and our first stop was opposite the Northern Bank in Donegall Street West, most famous for “losing” £26.5million in 2004 but in the 19th century, it was the home of a Dr Samuel Brown, the town’s first statutory

Medical Office of Health and as you can imagine bhí sé thar a bheith gnóthach - he was very busy with people flooding into Belfast to work in longthógáil - shipbuilding or tionscal an línéadaigh - the linen industry but the town wan’t really ready to cope with the influx.

There was no proper soláthar uisce - water supply nor a proper córas séarchais - sewage system and the overall sanitary system had a lot to be desired. It is said that the average life expectancy (ionchas saoil if you must know) for Belfast people in the mid-1840s was nine. Yep, nine, due to the high death rate of children and na galair - the diseases which weren’t curable then but which are nowadays.

There were many epidemics such as calar - cholera, anfiabhras tíofóideach - typhoid fever, dinnearach -  dysentery and bolgach - smallpox, on top of another big killer, eitinn - tuberculosis.

We then took a trip round the corner to Howard Street and opposite the Presbyterian Assembly buildings, there is an alleyway and it is here that the House of Correction stood. Yep, not only was an príosún - the prison the prison here but it was also the out-of-hours doctor service where a dochtúir - a doctor would work with a capall - a horse outside to take him to the ill-about-town.

David then took us to Queen Street where we had a look at the former stáisiún póilíní - police station which was also Belfast’s first childrens’ hospital.

Otharlann or ospidéal is the Irish for a hospital so Otharlann na bPáistí (or Ospidéal na Leanaí) is the Children’s hospital.

Florence Nightingale  took an interest in the Queen Street hospital as one of her students was a matron there. 

One doesn’t want to give too much away about the tour but there was more to learn about Dr William Drennan, better known as a member of - the United Irishmen but he was one of the early advocates of inaclú - inoculation against smallpox and, a new concept at the time, washing the hands to prevent infhabhtú - infection.

Drennan’s sister Martha McTier helped found the Lying-In hospital, just down from the John Hewitt on Donegall Street, to aid labouring ‘indigent females’ by providing accommodation, food and medical supervision during childbirth.

All in all, it was a fascinating hour, thanks to the NI Science festival who organised the event – time to do some research, I think.

CUPLA FOCAL

sainchomharthaí(siynkhorhee) - landmarks 

treoraí (chroree) - a guide

leigheas(layiss) - medicine 

cógas(cugiss) - medicine 

bhí sé thar a bheith gnóthach (vee shay har a vay grohakh) - he was very busy 

longthógáil(lunhogaal) - shipbuilding

tionscal an línéadaigh(chunskil un leenaydee) - the linen industry

soláthar uisce (solaher ishka) - water supply

córas séarchais(coriss shayrahiss) - sewage system

ionchas saoil(inkhas seel) - life expectancy 

na galair (ne galer) - the diseases

calar(calar) - cholera

an fiabhras tíofóideach(un feevriss cheefoyjakh) - typhoid fever 

dinnearach(jinnerakh) - dysentery

bolgach(bolagakh) - smallpox

an príosún(preesoon) - the prison

dochtúir(dokhtoor) - a doctor 

capall(capal) - a horse

stáisiún póilíní (staashoon poeleene) - police station

otharlann(oherlaan) or ospidéal(ospajel) - a hospital

eitinn (etchin) - tuberculosis

ionaclú (inacloo) - inoculation

infhabhtú(inaowtoo) - infection