A slight additional sprinkling of snow lay on the roofs this morning but it disappeared leaving the earlier snow lying but gradually melting. Very calm, E [wind]. Mousey¹ slept in + as Bella is still in bed² we were late with breakfast. At Mauldsheugh & gave Martha Inglis [?] chlor[oform] while D. [Dr David Graham] removed 2 toes. From there I walked to the Hospital + Mavisbank. Went to afternoon service. Called to see Mrs Mackenzie’s (Jeannie [?]) baby. Boylan came on one of his boring calls + spoke for 2 hours on end about himself³.

¹ Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s daughter and housekeeper

² Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (b.1873), the Muir family housekeeper

³ John Dun Boylan (1850-1924) civil engineer, ‘friend’ of Dr Muir, resided Shawpark, Selkirk; Dr Muir had previously called him an Egotist

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Between frost + fresh the latter predominating. David wanted Dora [Muir] to go down to Mauldsheugh in place of his nurse till Monday. Bella quite broken down this morning + I had to send her to bed¹. Mousey had therefore a very strenuous day². I walked to Curror Street &c + Shawpark. Boylan had a bad fit of coughing last night³. In the afternoon I motored to Beechwood, Yarrowford & Fairnilee (Neil + Miller).

¹ Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (b.1873), the Muir family housekeeper

² Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s daughter and housekeeper

³ John Dun Boylan (1850-1924) civil engineer, ‘friend’ of Dr Muir, resided Shawpark, Selkirk

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Slight frost. Snow still lying on grass &c wind E. dry. I only saw half a doz. town cases. D. Dr David Graham] was first at Beechwood, Rinkhope + Ettrick Shaws + then at Synton Mill + N. Synton. He, Jack¹ + I inspected Miss Beattie’s home Woodcroft which D. thinks might do for a nursing home. Dora [Muir] arrived at 7.30 looking very well + full of her maritime experiences.

¹ John Roberts junior ‘Jack’ (1876-1966); mill owner and Provost of Selkirk

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

A touch of frost made the roads a little better but in the town the thaw continued. There was a pretty sharp east wind. Lots of accounts coming in. I saw a few town cases + walked out to Smedheugh to see the baby, taking Keltie [dog]. It was rather heavy walk going up. David did a message to the cook at Yarrow Manse who had cut her finger + another to see a maid at Carterhaugh. Helen went to David’s lecture.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

A very calm + slow thaw making the streets quite slushy. There was a threatening of snow in the afternoon but no fall to speak of. Still very little doing. I saw half a doz. town cases. David did a message to Miller, Fairnilea + saw one of the nurses at Beechwood¹. Dav. Smith, the Firs, was found to have appendicitis. He was taken to Mauldsheugh where he was operated on by Mr Fraser at 5. I gave Chlor[oform]. Fraser is a beautiful operator + the result was successful in the removal of an inflamed appendix. Fraser afterwards saw Flora [?] Harper. Mr Mackintosh gave me a bottle of Keith & Hamilton liqueur whisky². Dora [Muir] wired that she is coming to Edin[burgh] today.

¹ Assume Beechwood at Philiphaugh, approximate grid reference and see also Ordnance Survey 6 inch Selkirkshire Sheet XI.NE (includes: Selkirk), revised 1897, published 1900

² The editor would welcome an identification of this bottle.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Two inches of snow this morning the heaviest fall of the season up till now. It was very calm. During the day a little more fell but the frost gone + the streets got slushy. No country work. I saw 15 town cases. Jean left at 6.16 + Helen came at 7.19. Baptie finished delivering the accounts + a few were paid. Mrs Crozier, Curror Street, who was taken to the Infirmary on Sunday was operated on + died yesterday. She had a ruptured appendix + a belly full of pus.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Sharp frost + a sprinkling of snow lying but it was fresh in afternoon. Messages to Beechwood, Bowhill + Newark School which Dav. [Dr David Graham] did + also Lewenshope and Mt Benger. I walked to Rockville + Glenlora + cycled to Curror Street, Hospital, Fairnilea Cottages, Yair + [?] Mill. Baptie delivered part of the accounts. Letter from Dora [Muir]. She thinks the ship (Western Australia) is being demobilised¹.

¹ See diary entry for 24 January 1919

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Change of weather: some very slight showers of snow with a clear sky + sunshine. No frost showing except on shaded pavement. Hoped to get to church but got message to Palfrey, Broomfield. I was a long time at Mr Crozier’s arranging for him to go to Edinburgh. Went on to Hospital + back to Palfrey. In afternoon called to Ross, Glenlora (baby)¹. No county work. David asked to see Charlie Roberts. Indeed nanny advised Charlie to consult D!² May I be kept from jealousy + depression! Finished the accounts + got them all put up for sending out. Supped at Wellwood. Charlie Roberts there. Jean couldn’t go as Bella was ill³.

¹ Sinclair Ross, solicitor, was proprietor at Glenlora, Viewfield Park, Selkirk, on 1918 Valuation Roll

² Dr Muir is again disappointed by a person close to him consulting someone else (the Dunlops at Whitmuirhall had done so in early 1916 “Got a terrible shock from a letter of Mrs Dunlop’s announcing that she has been ill & had called in another medical man as ‘we thought we would rather have a younger man.’ “)

³ Isabella ‘Bella’ Paulin (b.1873), the Muir family housekeeper

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Very mild but still dull + sunless. Baptie went by the 8.17 train to Stow + brought back the Ford which David took to Fairnilea Cottages in the afternoon to see Hall, a Panel patient. This was all the County work. Mrs Crozier, Curror Street very ill with some intestinal obstruction. Saw 9 town cases. Messages to Mrs Currie, Byethorn and Sam Wotherston, Pembroke Cottage. Wire from Dora [Muir] from Southampton wanting Trottie’s address which I sent her¹. I also wrote her to Southampton. Wrote Helen [Muir] too. Found 2 snowdrops showing white.

¹ Isabel Scott ‘Trottie’ Kippen née Muir (1867-1851), daughter of Dr Muir’s late elder brother Jim and married (September Quarter 1889, Islington) to John Stewart N Kippen (about 1859-1925)

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]

Weather I.S.Q.¹ Alexr Mitchell [?] came in with lacerated finger which I dressed. P.C. [post card] from Dora dated 22nd off English coast on her way to Cherbourg in the “Western Australia”². Absolutely no country work. Walked to Curror Street + Hospital + saw 8 cases. Was called over to the Victoria Hall to a soldier who had a compound fracture of leg got while walking [?] Sent him over to Hawick Hospital. Worked away at the accounts. Jean [Muir] had Mrs Mackintosh + her niece, Cath Smith, Norah + Mr Ross at tea. My cough very nasty.

¹ I.S.Q. In Statu Quo – Latin: in the same state; unchanged

² States Ship Western Australia “… was the third vessel in the [West Australian] Stateships fleet. Originally built for the Tsar of Russia [as Mongolia] she was a hospital vessel in the Russo-Japanese War. After serving on the W.A. coast between 1912 and 1916 she was used by the British Admiralty as a hospital ship. She was sold to shipbreakers in 1935.”¹ The whole States Ship enterprise was controversial, pitting the State against commercial lines such as that of Sir Malcolm Donald McEacharn (1852-1910), Australian shipping magnate#, but a large part of the S.S. Western Australia’s failure in her States Ship role was a huge appetite for coal². In 1919, not long after Dora Muir’s journey, the West Australian newspaper reported “rumours of changes in connection with the State Steamship Service, and it has been stated that the Government had disposed of the S.S. Western Australia at a satisfactory figure. The vessel, which was purchased for work on the North-West coast, proved unsuitable for that purpose and she was chartered by the Imperial Government for cross Channel work as a hospital ship.”³ A sad part of the ship’s story was the sinking of HMS Hazard, a former Dryad-Class Torpedo Gunboat, built 1894 at Pembroke Dockyard and later converted to a submarine depot ship; she was lost on 2 January 1918 when accidently rammed by S.S. Western Australia while she was operating as a casualty clearing ship⁴.

# for a small coincidence see Dr Muir’s reference to an “Australian Merchant” in 22 September 1918 diary of Dr J S Muir of Selkirk http://heritagehub.tumblr.com/post/178340204429/22-september-1918-diary-of-dr-j-s-muir-of-selkirk

Sources

¹ Stephens, Alan M, The Stateships story: 1912-1977 http://innopac.slwa.wa.gov.au/record=b2215660

² Walker, Bill. “WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S COASTAL SHIPPING: GOVERNMENT VERSUS PRIVATE ENTERPRISE PART TWO: 1908-1914.” The Great Circle, vol. 30, no. 2, 2008, pp. 77–101. JSTOR, JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41563272

³ ‘S.S. Western Australia Rumoured Sale By The Government’ In The West Australian, 1 April 1919

⁴https://forgottenwrecks.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/wrecks-and-sites/explore-the-wrecks/articles/hms-hazard]

http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd112/112383PD.jpg

Image is from the Izzy Orloff collection, courtesy of the State Library of Western Australia, reference: image number: 112383PD / BA1059/1456

Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/22, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1919]