Delightful mild day rather hazy. Saw town cases + Beechwood walking. After breakfast gave John S. ? Mavisbank¹ chlor[oform] + extracted 5 teeth. Nancy + Helen² walked to Whitlaw + watched the hounds which met at Bowden Moor³. They had a splendid view of the hunt. There was a touch of frost this morning, fairly sharp + the ground remained hard in the shade but there was enough mud on the Yarrow road to enable a passing car to bespattered me plentifully.

¹ John S Gray has not been identified but Andrew Gray, a weaver, born Lanarkshire, was lodging at Mavis Bank, 1911 Census and was a tenant at 7a Mavis Bank, 1920 Valuation Roll

² Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948) and Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), two of Dr Muir’s daughters

³ Whitlaw Farm is at grid reference NGR NT517300 to the south east of Bowdenmoor [farm] at NT535318, itself just west of Bowden Moor

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

A touch of frost in the morning + again at night but a slow calm thaw all day. Slush awful. N.E. wind + some snow showers. Ground still thickly covered. Walked to Heatherliebank, Dunsdale, Ashybank Lane [?], Mavisbank + then to High Street, Backrow + back to Heatherliebank. Old Mrs Clapperton very collapsed. Spent afternoon mending braces. Dav. [David Graham, co-partner] did Heatherliebank at night.

¹ Assume Eliza Clapperton née Yellowlees, see , the widow of George Clapperton, grocer, she died 24 February 1920, at Heatherliebank, Selkirk, aged 93, death certified by John S Muir M.B. &c

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Most complete change from almost summer to mid winter! Everything smothered in snow + a continuous (but calm) fall till 3 p.m. There must be 6-8 inches. It was soft however + the streets got very slushy. I saw 7 cases walking + finished by 12. Got all January [accounts] posted. Before dinner walked town to see John Mitchell, Mavisbank, whom I had forgotten. Dubs’ funeral was today. There was to be a service at 10.15 before they started for Glasgow but I didn’t go.

¹ Frank Albert or F A Dubs (1860-1920), engineer and locomotive builder, had died 16 February 1920 at Yair and was buried at the Glasgow Necropolis, Wishart Street, Glasgow

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Delightfully mild day. Winter Aconite¹ in full flower. There are also some white + yellow crocuses unusually early. I cycled to Goslaw Green, Ashybank + gave chlor[oform] at the Home for a case of Hallux valgus² on which D. [Dr David Graham] operated very cleverly. Then I came up Forest Road + down to Pinegrove. Got Jeannie Oliver down to the Home as D. advises extension for her knee. H + I walked to Whitlaw + met Mary Milne to see all the hounds at Bowden Moor + they had tea at Bridgeheugh. Had to see Jessie Clapperton, Heatherliebank at 10. The wind had then turned E. + it was raining.

¹ Eranthis hyemalis or Winter Aconite, another common name is Winter Hellebore

² Hallux valgus is “the commonest forefoot deformity, with an estimated prevalence of 23% to 35%. It causes symptoms on the medial edge of the foot, the sole, and the small toes” [Nikolaus Wülker, Prof. Dr. med. and Falk Mittag, Dr. med. ‘The Treatment of Hallux Valgus’ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3528062/]

³ Assume Eliza Clapperton, see Dr Muir’s diary entry for 20 February 1920

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Very mild. Evidently very wet during last night but kept fair all day. Several new messages. Made 15 town calls including Heather Mill motoring + on to Beechwood, Philip^H Sawmill, General’s Bridge + Bowhill returning via Dunsdale, Curror Street +c. Attended meeting of Red Cross Committee at which Mrs Scott Plummer¹ was elected President + [the] Duchess² Hon. President. Thomson + Miss Brown³ came along to tea. H. [Helen] + Nancy⁴ at Picture House.

¹ Muriel Grace Scott Plummer née Johnstone-Douglas (1874-1961), of Sunderland Hall

² Assume Margaret Alice Montagu Douglas Scott née Bridgeman (1872-1954), Duchess of Buccleuch

³ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963) and Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948), two of Dr Muir’s daughters

⁴ Thomson is unidentified but, in the context of the Red Cross references here, Miss Brown may well be Minnie Mackay Brown (1874-1966), teacher and V.A.D. nurse who had served in Egypt and France 1916-1919 and was then involved with the Red Cross – see diary entry for 6 February 1920

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Fair. S.W. wind: drying. F A Dubs¹, Yair died at 4.30 p.m. I was there by 10.15 + found him sinking. Beatson² stayed all day. Sent Sandy McClure³ a P.C. [post card]. Did also Yair Farm + Bogle House returning via Heatherlie, Dunsdale, Hospital &c. Mrs Pollok⁴ + a niece (a Miss Muir⁵ who knows all the Prestwick Connection⁶) called + had tea.

¹ Frank Albert or F A Dubs (1860-1920), engineer and locomotive builder, later of ‘private means’, with nine servants [source: 1911 census], born Anderston, Glasgow but retired 1902 and latterly staying in Yair

² George Thomas Beatson (1848-1933), K.C.B., K.B.E., D.L., Scottish oncologist, after whom the Beatson / West of Scotland Cancer Centre is named [and from whence, it must be acknowledged, the Editor’s beloved has received fabulous support these last 10 years]

³ Alexander Logan ‘Sandy’ McClure (1860-1932), advocate, whose mother was a Logan as was Dr Muir’s mother

⁴ Christina Jane Pollok née Graham (1864-1948), second wife of John Pollok the Pro. Fiscal of Selkirk

⁵ Not identified

⁶ The Prestwick connection (Muir / Rennie / Miller) came via Catherine Stewart Rennie née Muir (1829-1915), Dr J S Muir’s sister, and her family

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Wind changed to S.W. Quite fresh. Blowy + rainy all day, at times heavy. Motored early to Yair (Dubs nor better [illegible]). Sir Geo. Beatson¹ could come which he did, motoring with Tom Smith + Nancy. Went back at 6 + met Beatson. Digitalin had improved the pulse + pulmonary congestion less. Was at morning service + supped at Wellwood. Had to see Mrs Tait, Castle Street, after.

¹ Sir George Thomas Beatson 1848-1933), K.C.B, K.B.E, D.L., British physician and pioneer oncologist

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Wind E. colder: some flakes of snow at night: fair dry + bright all day. Shaved without gas [light?] at 7.10. Cycled to Castle Street + the Goslaw Green, Mavisbank, Dunsdale, Gib. + Lum. [Gibson & Lumgair, St Mary’s Mill], Bogle House, Yair + [Yair] Farm + Beechwood = 15.15. Had to go back to Yair after dinner + after 1¹/₂ hours of surgery cases. Dubs’s pulse very irregular + some pulmonary oedema. Forgot to go to Hardie, Bridgelands at David’s request.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Went over early to Yair. Dubs¹ had a temp. of 102 + very yellow. Was rather late for a case of curetting at the Home. From there went to Backrow + Bowhill + some town cases. Went back to Yair at 6 + [word deleted] gave Dubs an enema with fair result. Temp. 100. Recited at a concert under the auspices of the P.O. in aid of Royal Infirmary. Good turn out. Helen + Nancy² had tea with Miss Hall. Blowy day [and] heavy rain at night. Recited ‘The Salmon’ + ‘Christy Lumsden’ re Janet McLusky.

¹ Frank Albert or F A Dubs (1860-1920), engineer and locomotive builder, later of ‘private means’, retired 1902 and staying [living] at Yair

² Dr Muir’s daughters Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963) and Agnes Amelia ‘Nancy’ Roberts née Muir (1878-1948)

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]

Baptie¹ has finished the fruit enclosure + has done the whole thing himself.

Not such a rough day as yesterday. Cycled to Goslaw Green, West Port + then motored to Curror Street, Ashybank, Bleachfield Road, Fairnilee Lodge, Bogle House, Yair + Yair Farm, at latter encountered Hiddleston who, it turns out, had been attending Ormiston but who declares he won’t have H. It was very awkward. Dubs⁴ not as well. Was in house all afternoon. D [Dr David Graham, co-partner] came up to have a talk about blankets for Viewfield. He is going twice a day to Mrs Barton, Oakwoodmill, who has had pneumonia.

¹ Thomas Baptie (1860-1929), driver and handyman for Dr Muir

² Assume Samuel Ormiston junior, farmer at Yair Farm, Caddonfoot, 1920 Valuation Roll; see also diary entry for 11 February 1920

³ John Murray Hiddleston (1891-1954), medical practitioner

⁴ Dubs, see diary entry for 11 February 1920

⁵ The co-partnery had acquied Viewfield earlier in 1920 to operate as a cottage hospital

⁶ Mrs Barton was Rebecca Monti Garden Grant, wife of Andrew Barton, Inhabitant / Occupier at Oakwoodmill Farm House, 1920 Valuation Roll; he died aet 78 in 1927 while she survived pneumonia and died aet 65 in 1932, at Upper Tofts, Cavers; they had married at Stirling in 1892

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/23, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1920]