13 June 1922 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

N.E. [wind] Welcome rain today from 4 a.m. till about 1. It will do good but another 24 hours of it would have been better. I walked to Forest Road + Hospital (where 2 cases of D.¹ have been admitted) + then gave Clor[oform] to Maycock² at the Home³ while D.⁴ extirpated a hydrocele. Then I went in the Morris Cowley to see Mrs Dees who with Mr Dees⁵ came up from N Berwick⁶ for a night. Started at 3 in a hire [car] with Mrs Mack⁷, H. + D.⁸ + Miss Broom⁹ + went via Wollrig to Ettrickshaws¹⁰ for tea. We saw the most magnificent display of Rhododendrons there. All the girls went to the Picture Ho. at night.

¹ Diphtheria is evidently still about after the major outbreak in Selkirk or there has been another outbreak; Dr Muir has not referred to anything like as often latterly

² Dr Muir had previously attended Catherine Maycock née Gow (1874-1959), wife of George James Maycock (1877-1957), butler, later poultry farmer, at this time living at Lower Faldonside, Galashiels – see diary entry for 14th October 1921 for more detail

³ The Home refers to Viewfield Nursing Home

⁴ David Charteris ‘Dav.’ Graham (1889-1963), M.B., medical practitioner and Dr Muir’s business partner

⁵ No reason is given for why Edith Mary Boileau Dees née Henderson and her husband Robert Irwin Dees who lived at Faldonside should be described as visiting

⁶ If the reading North Berwick is correct there is no evidence in the Valuation Rolls that the Dees had property interests there

⁷ Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk

⁸ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper and Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978), Dr Muir’s youngest daughter and a nurse

⁹ Miss Broom is as yet unidentified

¹⁰ Ettrickshaws, Kirkhope, home of Joan Scott Anderson née Shaw (about 1857-1936), widow of Thomas ‘T’ Scott Anderson of Shaws

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]