7 November 1921 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

Hard frost: sharp dry day N. [wind]. Was called up at 5 a.m. to see old Mrs Johnstone¹, the slater’s widow, in Forest Road who had an attack of angina pectoris. Gave her a hypo of morphia. Was rather late for breakfast. Saw 8 cases + Hospital walking. Wrote Dora² asking her to come + help Jean³: ordered 3 bottles [of] whisky from Sanderson⁴ for Pike⁵ + also sent A. K. H. Tot.⁶ + caps Amyl nitrite⁷. Made out some accounts. H.⁸ went to Picture Ho. with Mrs Mack⁹. At 10 p.m. had to get Mrs Geo. Smith¹⁰ into Viewfield for her confinement which I didn’t expect till the end of the month.

¹ Mrs Margaret Johnstone née Redpath (about 1847-1922), widow of John Johnstone (about 1842-1904), master slater [1921 Valuation Roll, VR007900012-/165, Selkirk Burgh, page 165 of 644]

² Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978), nurse and Dr Muir’s youngest daughter

³ Jane Henderson Logan ‘Jean’ Pike née Muir (1877-1941), Dr Muir’s eldest daughter

⁴ Conceivably William Sanderson & Son Ltd., distillers, Leith

⁵ Frederick Charles Pike (1883-1921), theatrical agent, married Dr Muir’s daughter Jane Henderson Logan ‘Jean’ Muir in 1920 but was gravely ill by this time

⁶ AKH has been referred to previously but is not (yet) identified

⁷ Amyl nitrite capsules were manufactured by Burroughs Wellcome & Co. for, amongst other things, the relief of Angina pectoris

⁸ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper

⁹ Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk

¹⁰ Jean Robertson Hardie had married George Smith, joiner, 1920, at Selkirk [marriage, 1920, 778/ 48, Selkirk]

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/24, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1921]