Sayings and doings of 25 years ago...
DOLLY the sheep made front page news in the East Lothian Courier on February 28, 1997.
An East Lothian company has helped to produce the world’s first clone of an adult animal.
PPL Therapeutics, near Tranent, worked with Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute to produce Dolly the lamb, the world’s first genetically identical animal.
This is a major breakthrough for the local company, who are already world leaders in transgenic technology (crossing of genes) for human healthcare applications.
A team of between 10 and 15 people worked on the research over a number of years.
They took cells from a sheep’s breast tissue and transferred a nucleus in these cells to an egg, which had had its nucleus removed.
It was then implanted in a surrogate mother, and Dolly was born.
...and 50 years ago
‘Vert Memorial Hospital will close to maternity cases’ was headline news in the East Lothian Courier of February 25, 1972.
The South Eastern Regional Hospital Board is proposing to cease using the Vert Memorial Hospital at Haddington for maternity services, members of East Lothian Council Health Committee heard on Monday.
In a letter to the County Council, the Board said it was proposed that a unit for the treatment of behaviourally disturbed patients should be created at Herdmanflat Hospital.
As a result of this, the Board intended that the Vert Memorial Hospital should be used for psycho-geriatric patients from Herdmanflat.
The Board further proposed that facilities for maternity services should be provided at Roodlands Hospital in order to replace the facilities to be withdrawn at the Vert Memorial Hospital.
The Board considered that it would be necessary for East Lothian to look to Edinburgh for specialised obstetric services.
...and 100 years ago
THE tragic death of an ex-Provost sent shockwaves across the county, reported The Haddingtonshire Courier on February 24, 1922.
No death has brought to the community of East Linton more intense and general grief than that of ex-Provost William Barrie, a gentleman beloved and respected by young and old alike.
It was known that Mr Barrie had a heart affection, and last week this old trouble returned in an acute form.
On Friday evening, after supper, he left home to post a letter.
From the position he was found in it was evident he must have been leaving the letterbox at the post office when he dropped down dead.
Dr Black and Dr Badenoch were immediately in attendance, but they could do nothing, life being extinct.
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