A Son of the Rock

BCA in arrangement with Gollancz, 1983, 347 p. First published 1937. One of the 100 best Scottish Books.

This book has the dedication, “To my wife.” No name, just, “To my wife.” Of its time.

Cronin lived for a while in my home town of Dumbarton and was well-liked there. He had a long and successful writing career being best known for his “Doctor Finlay” stories which have been made into television series more than once. This is the first of his books I have read.

In it, newly qualified doctor Andrew Manson takes up his first post in the Welsh mining village of Drineffy only to find to his surprise that Dr Page, whose practice he has joined as assistant, is ill, therefore leaving the whole burden to him. It takes him some while to come to terms with his new existence, to overcome the hide-bound attitudes of others, and he bemoans the lack of recent knowledge amongst the elder doctors on the town. He then forms a pact with another young doctor to blow up the leaking sewer causing enteric fevers in the village. In a confrontation over isolation procedures for communicable disease he meets local schoolteacher, Christine Barlow. His dedication to his patients eventually leads to a confrontation with Page’s sister over an ex-gratia payment. He resigns on principle and seeks a post in Aberalaw, a few valleys away. This requires a married man, so his intended proposal to Christine is accelerated.

In Aberalaw there are still aspects of typical medical practice which he abhors but he has a chance to investigate the incidence and genesis of lung disease in anthracite miners. His paper on the matter is well received on both sides of the Atlantic. This leads to a brief spell at the Government Board overseeing mines, where his talents are misplaced.

His taking over a practice in a not too well-off part of London is the start of his ascent as he is gradually drawn into the web of venality and malpractice surrounding the higher elements of his profession there. Increasing affluence leads to an estrangement from Christine. His eyes are finally re-opened to the true state of affairs when he assists at an operation which is botched. The comeuppance he’s given for his misdemeanours is perhaps unduly harsh, though, as it is personal rather than professional.

Characterisations tend to be broad-brush and to a modern eye the conversations too long. Another historical note is that the text is pervaded with mention of cigarettes. You can almost feel the tobacco smell rising from the paper.

The book is to be commended for its main thrust, though, the indictment of the absolute racket that was private medicine. (And, no doubt, still is.) That people seek to profit from the gullible is a given of human nature but to do so from the ill is utterly despicable.

To those with sensitive dispositions I should mention that a character says, “‘He’s a white man,’” in that old casual usage, meaning sound, or reliable. Cronin probably thought it unremarkable.

Pedant’s corner:- signagure (signature,) “it was no mere slip of the tongue which has caused” (had caused,) doyleys (the usual spelling is doilies,) “her background previous to her marriage to Doctor Bramwell, had been” (needs no comma after Bramwell,) “caught he unguardedly fixing him” (caught her.) “There was also palms and a string orchestra.” (There were also palms and a ..,) marraiges (marriages,) ampule (ampoule is more usual,) “if I’d been the King of England” (Manson is a Scot; he would more likely have thought, ‘if I’d been the King’,) Rees’ (Rees’s – which appeared six lines later,) etctera (etcetera,) prtence (pretence,) “a county practice” (country practice?) cruciform (cruciform?) “at he could” (as he could,) “what an earth for?” (what on Earth for?) “he flung out of bed” (flung himself out of bed,) “tht night” (that night,) “at Vaughans’” (at the Vaughans’, or, at Vaughan’s,) Glyn-Jones’ (Glyn-Jones’s,) out-bye (out-by,) beieve (believe,)“could .. be inducted” (induced makes more sense,) a missing comma before a piece of direct speech, “a PS.,” Spahlinger (later [once each] Sphahlinger and Sphalinger,) “when we’re time” (when we’ve time,) “whiteheart cheeries” (cherries?) “there were signs of new life spring up” (sprung up,) “the crumped note” (crumpled,) “by Freddie’ gush” (Freddie’s,) Mr winch (Winch,) Rogers’ (Rogers’s,) wisteria (wisteria,) “more than usualy acrimony on her patchy features” (more than usual,) “ a stiff whicky and soda” (whisky,) “he isn’t so mart as Ivory” (smart,) “dity money” (dirty,) waggon (wagon,) “‘I’ve been thinking so much before you come in’” (came in.)