Body Left for Research

Will Directions by Ear and Eye Specialist

Aiding Pathological Tests

The Bulletin 20 Jun 1935

By the will of Dr Johnstone Macfie, of Langhouse, Inverkip, and of Beach, Morven, Argyll, he left directions for use to be made of his body in the interests of medical research.

His estate, the inventory of which was lodged with the Sheriff Clerk at Greenock, amounted to 24,651 pounds.

Dr Macfie requested that his body be cremated and the cinerary urn interred in the Langhouse ground at Inverkip Kirkyard. He also instructed his trustees that before his body was cremated they should intimate his death to Dr James Kerr Love, of 5 Newton Place, Glasgow, whom he had been consulting as to the state of his hearing.

Money Bequests

He instructed that Dr Love should be given leave to make a post-mortem examination, especially of his head and organs of hearing, and liberty to use any portion or parts of his body or bones with a view to clearing up the various pathological and other obscure questions involved in his case.

Bequests were left by Dr Macfie of 100 pounds each to the Glasgow Charity Organisation Society, the Maintenance of the Ministry Fund of the Church of Scotland, and the Foreign Mission Fund of the Church of Scotland, and also of 20 pounds each to his domestic and other servants at Langhouse and Beach who had been at least two years in his employment.

Dr Macfie, who was a specialist for the ear and eye, practised for many years in Glasgow. He had an old family connection with Greenock. A member of the family, Mr William Macfie, was Provost of Greenock in 1835-37. Four generations of the family resided in Langhouse, Inverkip.