Bella1 came home from Viewfield today
Felt a little stiff today but quite fit. David [Graham] went to Edinburgh about a man for Viewfield + to heat [?] up some patients. I saw some town cases + motored to Shielshaugh (Warwick2) [and] at 6 got ‘Phone from Dees, Faldonside to come down as there had been a motor accident + to bring a nurse. Took Boyack3 with me. Found that Dees4, driving a small Rover [?] had been upset near Berrybush5 + his daughter6 had a fractured base + her collar bone7. Menzies8 had been ‘Phoned for from Yarrow Fues + was at Faldonside. I ‘Phoned for Scott Skirving9 who came out about 10. He thought there was a fracture but no need to operate. I got some dinner there.
1 Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (1873-?1952), Dr Muir’s housekeeper
2 Andrew Warwick, head gamekeeper, and Margaret Warwick née Jackson lived at Shielshaugh
3 Miss Boyack was a friend of Dora’s who stayed with the Muirs from 3rd to 31st August 1920; perhaps they knew one another from wartime nursing (she went on a number of Dr Muir’s calls and assisted on at least one occasion) but she is otherwise unidentified
4 Robert Irwin ‘Robber’ Dees (1872-1943), had inherited approximately £90,000 on the death of his uncle Robert Richardson Dees, solicitor, of Wallsend in 1908 and had taken the tenancy of Faldonside in 1920
5 Phyllis Mary ‘Fiff’ Dees (1899-1920), the daughter of Robert Irwin Dees (1872-1923) and Edith Mary Boileau Dees née Henderson, the new (1920) tenants at Faldonside
6 This sounds like basilar skull fracture – a break of a bone in the base of the skull – symptoms may include bruising behind the ears, bruising around the eyes, or blood behind the ear drum or a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak
7 The party had taken the Gordon Arms – Eldinhope – Hartleap – Tushielaw route and had overturned near Berrybush, presumably as they approached the highest point at grid reference NGR NT282,197
8 James Morris Menzies (1871-1926), M.B., Ch.M., M.D., medical practitioner, of Ettrick Lodge, Selkirk
9 Archibald Adam Scott Skirving (1869-1930), M.B., C.M., lecturer in Clinical Surgery, Royal Edinburgh Infirmary
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 