THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

The new British steel casque has had its battle baptism and the results of the test have been eminently satisfactory. In previous actions of any magnitude the proportion of cases of skull facture (the most dangerous type of wound the dressing-stations are called to deal with) has been high. In the battle of “The Bluff” on March 2, however, the proportion was almost negligible. In all cases, the men who were wearing casques were either unscathed of suffering from slight concussion.

50 years ago

The 15-year-old grandson of Mrs Betsy Reid (73), Dundee, saved her life after she was overcome by gas fumes in her home. Alexander Burns went to his grandmother’s house after an aunt, Mrs Agnes Reid, had failed to get an answer to her knocking. “When there was no reply, she came up to our house,” said Alexander. “I ran down to my granny’s and climbed the rone pipe to see into the house.” Mrs Reid was lying on her bed and there was a smell of gas. Alexander kicked a window to let the gas escape.

25 years ago

Precription charges are set to rise to £3.40 next month, Whitehall sources said yesterday. It is believed that the Government will announce the 35p rise in a written Parliamentary answer. A spokesman for the Department of Health said the claims were “pure speculation” but added that the Government would make an announcement next week. A 35p increase would be the tenth rise in 13 years and would represent a 17-fold increase since the Conservatives came to power in 1979.

One year ago

Angus Council has pulled its funding to one of Scotland’ s last remaining camera obscuras. The Kirriemuir attraction, which was gifted to the town by Peter Pan author JM Barrie in 1930, will close to the public as a result of the decision. The local authority has blamed budgetary pressures as the reason for withdrawing its £10,000-a-year subsidy. National Trust for Scotland, which has taken on its management on behalf of the council since 1999, described the decision as “disappointing”.