Continuing a look at Malcolm Dow’s life, in his own words:
“After my birth in 1915, my mother did not have good health and I was not too well either having to be cared for by my grandparents in High Blantyre and at Bridge of Dee. My mother was in Glasgow Infirmary for about 2 out of the next 5 years until my father returned from the war. Then when I was 6, I had a sudden illness with severe stomach pains. Our Dr McMillan was away on a weekend holiday with his wife and his new assistant Dr Walter Jope was called. He had been a sergeant in the RAMC but as the war progressed he was commissioned and demobbed as a Major with full doctorate certificates.
Like quite a lot of army doctors in both wars, his usual remedy was “M&D” (medicine and duty). So I was prescribed castor oil and rest. This did not improve matters but around 11pm Dr McMillan arrived. He was one of the old-time doctors who attended his patients at regular intervals. On seeing my name on the list of patients he made his call. Luckily for me he did as he immediately called an ambulance and had me transported to Blantyre Cottage Hospital.
He summoned Dr Grant (surgeon at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and a Blantyre man) who operated on me for interception of the bowels, just in time to save my life (not one of the supposed 9). This is a complaint very common in sheep, and to a sheep farmer or surgeon can only be offset by operation.
I was in the cottage hospital for two months, getting the best of attention. During my first week of recuperation, a young girl of five, Mina Sneddon, was brought in. While playing on the landing of her one-up flat she toppled over the railings but luckily landed on an empty apple barrel at the back door of the fruiterers below. Fortunately she only suffered bruising and concussion. Being the only two patients in the hospital we were both pampered by the nurses and our parents. This was the first meeting of a couple who were to have a happy life together later for fifty two years.”
(Yes, realise the AI got the building shape slightly wrong, but its close enough for illustrative purposes)
