- UNIVERSITY OF SYPUrv

AUSTRALL4N VETEIUNARY HISTORY SOCIETY

NEM'SLETIER NO 3 - APRIL 1992

Dear Foundation Members

Negotiations are being completed with AVA re acceptance of the Australian Veterinary History Society as a Special Interest Group. The latest draft Constitution has been accepted by the Constitution Committee and now awaits ratification at a meeting of the Society.

The next major activity is our conference in Adelaide in May. We have arranged an interesting series of talks mainly dealing with veterinary history in South . (We are even underway for our meeting in 1993.)

It is hoped that as many members as possible will attend the meeting in May though I realise that distance imposed restrictions. Hopefully South Australian members, spouses and friends will be present. Apologies from those unable to attend would be appreciated.

Good wishes to you all

Bob

ANNUAL MEETING - 1992

Our Society meeting will be held in the afternoon of Wednesday 13 May. Further details will be in the official conference program when it is issued by the AVA. We have four very interesting talks lined up (see previous newsletter).

We have been advised that the AVA meeting in 1993 will be held on the Gold Coast and we have requested a place on the program. Already we have the offer of one paper and are seeking others relating to the Queensland veterinary history. Dr Brian Woolcock is our local representative on the Organising Committee and offers should be addressed to him.

L NOTES AND REMINISCENCES

As can been seen from the contributions below they come from NSW members and most deal with matters in that state. We would very much appreciates contributions from mcmbcrs in othcr statcs dcaling with thcir local vctcrinary past

Tulxrculosis Control - A Personal Experience - Ton1 tlungerford

A climactic turning point in the control of bovine tubcrculosis in NSW occurrcd on thc 22nd of August 1936. On that day a rcport from thc Chairman of thc Milk Board was scnt to thc Chicf Vctcrinary Surgcon, Max Hcnry, stating that Mycobacrer~urnruberculosis had bccn found in the milk supply iron1 Campbclltown Milk Factory.

Max Hcnry callcd me in and said, "Hungcrford, I want you to sccurc a list of all supplicrs to that milk factory (which spread from Rossmorc near Liverpool down to Bulli), and to carry out a careful clinical examination of cvcry cow in cvcry dairy hcrd." I said "ycs Sir." I took the rcport and set about to plan my campaign.

Now I was to bc marricd on thc 5th Scptcmbcr (just two wccks away). My thoughts crystalliscd as follows:

1. To cxaminc clinically all thc dairy cattlc would at bcst dctcct only a vcry small proportion of thosc who wcrc carricrs of tubcrculosis.

2. TO go to a farm unannounced, locate evcry cow and cxamine them, would mean bcing there at milking time and doing at most 2 herds per day. As there were more than 30 hcrds the plan, for the 2 wecks available, was futile.

3. The double intradermal tuberculin tcst had rcccntly bccn intioduced, was effcctive, and I had been using it. With a Dr Raison's all metal dental syringe, and with the cattle mustcrcd one could easily inject all cattle then rcinject at the 48th hour, read at the 72nd hour, and mark reactors.

4. NO such widc ranging rapid use of thc double intradcrmal test had bccn madc. Hithcrto tcsting in thc Tubcrclc-Frcc Hcrd Schcmc, and in thc Tuberculosis Frcc Area Schcmc had bccn donc with thc slow subcutancous tcst.

It sccmcd to mc that this was thc golden opportunity to givc the doublc intradcrmal tcst its rcal tcst and thc Chicf agrccd.

Thc Chairman of thc Milk Board, Mr Hamilton, had bccn a Stock Inspector. Hc was a man of action, highly intclligent and pcrccptivc. I phoncd him told him thc story and asked for thc assistance of 4 of his inspcctors. Hc phoncd mc back, agrccd, and had 4 inspcctors comc to a bricfing scssion with mc thc ncxt day for a start thc following day.

Thcsc inspcctors wcrc highly cfficicnt, conscientious, and vcry kccn on thc TB cradication targct. Thcy kncw thc district likc thc back of thcir hands and wcrc known to thc farmcrs who rcspcctcd thcir authority (cg to ban thcir milk if not approvcd). Thc first 2 inspcctors wcrc to go ahcad of mc, csplain thc situation and havc all stock over 6 months n~ustcrcd.

At 4 an1 at Rossmorc wc mct. All wcnt wcll with farnlcrs surprised but coopcralivc, until wc canic to onc famm ;II Inglcburn. Thc farmcr was cnrngcd at thc arrival of Ihc inspcctors and when I arrived he demanded to see my authority which I had under the Stock Diseascs Act 1923. He said he had no TB in his cattle which werc stud cattlc personally selected by himself. He still refused to cooperate so one of the inspectors told him he could no longer send milk to the factory and I placed his herd in quarantine. We rctumcd 2 hours later; all the stock were mustered and the atmosphere thunderous.

Forty eight hours later I returned for the second injection and found about half the cattle showing reactions already. Knowing the devastating cyclone that was brewing I drove that night to Max Henry's home and told him all. He replied "Carry on Hungerford."

At the 72nd hour I anived at the farm to make the fateful readings. The owner had seen the enormously swollen caudal folds. He had on site the local member of State Parliament, several aldermen, a vet (Bruce Pottie), his solicitor, and many others as the farmer was a prominent local citizen.

There too coming towards the bails were Max Henry and Eric McDonald, a senior Departmental vet, both unannounced and unnoticed. The solicitor made approaches to stop me acting under the Stock Diseases Act so I blandly gave him Max Henry's phone number even though Henry was standing nearby.

I rapidly carried on in the tense atmosphere and then Henry offered to record the description of the reactors. He moved quietly to the first cow which let fly with a splattering defaecation of very fluid dung which cascaded over Henry. He was dressed in a nicely tailored pin strip suit. He paused to wring the cow dung out of his moustache, spat out one explosive expletive "damnation" and then proceeded with the task.

There were 36 reactors out of 65 in the herd. They were slaughtered under spccial supervision, all showed lesions and many were totally condemned. Thirty four herds were tested. Just under 4% of cattle reacted but only one other herd had more than 5% of reactors.

[Editor - Soon after this episode, in 1937, the "Milk Board Scheme for a Pure Raw Milk Supply to the Cities of Sydney and Newcastle" was introduced. The objective was to eliminate TB from dairy herds supplying raw milk to the public and the tuberculin test was used for this purpose. In the first year of the scheme 6.2% of 28 400 cattle wcre reactors. Mylrea, P.J. (1990) Aust vet J. vol 67, p 104.1

Anthony Willows - The ~irstGovernment Veterinary Surgeon in Australia (?) - Peter Mylrea

W.T.Kendall, the founder of the Veterinary College wrote: "The first veterinary surgeon to receive a regular Government appointment was Mr. Anthony Willows M.R.C.V.S., a fellow student of mine, who arrived in Sydney in 1883..."(I)

'~ustralian Association for the Advancement of Science (1913) Melbourne Section K pp 695-703. This niay not be corrcct bccausc a Thomas Chalwin was a rcsidcnt in Adclaide in 1881 and it was writtcn in 1883 that he was thc Govcrnmcnt Vctcrinary Surgcon for South Australia and that 'This is, we understand, thc first rcal appointment of this kind in thc Australian ~olonics'.(~)

Kendall graduate from the Royal Veterinary College, pndon, in 1873 and, without verification, this would apply also to Willows. Willows was appointed to the staff of thc Stock Branch, Department of Mines, on 15 May 1883 under the titlc of Cattle Inspector, Sydney (3) although in the Royal Commission mentioned below he was rcfcrrcd to as thc Government Veterinarian.

Onc of his duties was the supervision of animal quarantine and this was to be his undoing. In 1883 or 1884 a mob of sheep infected with sheep scab was imported from America. After a period in quarantine they were transferred to Carcoar where the condition was diagnosed and the sheep destroyed. This cpisodc lead to a Royal Commission which found, inter alia, that Willows had not carried out his duties in an effective manner. On 3 September 1884 his suspension was recommended and Willows resigned 5 days later on 8 Scptcmbcr e) after 15 months in the NSW Civil Service. The next record is of Willows volunteering as Veterinary Surgeon in the Artillery Company of the New South Walcs Contingent which departed for the Soudan [Sudan] Campaign in March 1885. The Contingent was in Africa for only 7 weeks. On the return journey to Australia Willows died and was buried at sea on G June 1885.(~)

The McMaster lahralory and Veterinary Scicnce - Hugh Gordon

The F.D.McMastcr Animal health Laboratory of CSIR (now CSIRO) celebrated its Goth anniversary last year (Nov 1991). It has a long association with the Faculty of Vcterinary Science, being located on the west side of the Vcterinary School on the campus of the .

In its early days veterinarians predominated on the staff. The first Officer-in-Chargc was Dr (later Sir) Ian Clunies Ross and with him wcre DR G.P.Kauzal who had come from Hungary in 1928 and had becn working with Clunics Ross in the Vcterinary School, Norman Graham who had becn House Surgcon in 1930, Ian Bevcridge and Hugh Gordon

Vcterinary Journal (1883) p 226

"Blue Book", Journal of the Legislative Council of NSW, 1885. Rcport of the Royal Commission on ...Reccnt outbreak of scab in Sheep. Votes and Procecdings of the Lcgislativc Assembly of NSW. 1883-84, vol 9, pp 191-253, * Clark, R. "NSW Sudan Contingent-1885" Military Historiel Society of Australia, A.C.T. Branch. recently graduated in Veterinary Science early in 1931 and W.A.Carr Fraser (Sydney 1925) recently returned from Aberdecn where he had his Ph.D. V.G.Cole was laboratory assistant to Clunies Ross from 1930 - he entered the Course in Veterinary Science and graduated in 1936. Dr (later Professor) H.R.Carne had a room in McMaster and his practical classev were held for some years in a specially fitted room in that building.

Clunies Ross had been lecturer in veterinary parasitology from 1925 and when he was appointed Officer-in-Charge of McMaster he continued to lecture part-time. When he resigned from CSIR in 1937 to go to the International Secretariat in Hugh Gordon was appointed part-time lecturer and continued in that role until 1970, and following his retirement in 1974 was appointed part-time demonstrator with Dr J.D.Kelly as lecturer and was a temporary lecturer in 1979-80 during Dr Kelly's illness, and nowadays lends a hand in practical classes in an honorary capacity. Later in the 1930s and early 40s C.R.("BunnyB) Austin lectured in physiology - later still he was a professor in Cambridge. Later still in the 70s and 80s Dr Ken Beh had some lecturing commitments in the Faculty. For some years Hugh Gordon and Douglas Stewart were on Faculty as "Members Distinguished in Veterinary Science".

Other members of McMaster staff, not veterinarians, also lectured in the Veterinary School. Dr M.C.Franklin in nutrition, Dr Helen Newton Turner introduced veterinary graduates into the mysteries of mathematical statistics.

Graduates working for higher degrees have had the benefit of contact with the staff and use of facilities. Seven veterinarians who worked in McMaster became Professors: Clunies Ross, Ian Beveridge, Ian Johnstone, "Bunny" Austin, Cliff Gallagher, Joe Boray, and John Egerton. During its 60 years more than 50 veterinarians have worked in McMaster, some for only a year or so, others for much of their working lives. Of the 9 Officers-in-Charge seven were veterinarians: Clunies Ross, Dudley Gill, Douglas Stewart, Dumo Murray, Laurie Symons, Alan Donald, and Peter Waller.

The Max Henry Memorial Library of the Australian Veterinary Association was established in 1931 when Clunies Ross was Editor of the Australian Veterinary Journal. This Library has been housed and cared for with the library of the McMaster from its earliest days. Hugh Gordon became Honorary Librarian in 1932 - and still is. The library is used by members of the AVA, undergraduates and staff of the Veterinary School, and indeed by all who have need of a specialist veterinary library; the best in Australia. The circulation system is a unique service; something not provided by any other library and is a most worthy contribution to continuing veterinary education.

There has thus been a very close association between veterinarians in the McMaster and the Faculty and profession; with considerable mutual benefit. The sharing of facilities and personnel between the McMaster and Veterinary School presents a prime example of an association between teaching and research, fortuitous in origin because of the location of the McMaster and the source of its earliest staff, felicitous in operation as such associations should ever be. The Foolrot Story - Ian Beveridge , Since carly days last century there have bccn many reports in Britain, France, and U.S.A. describing field observations that showed convincingly that footrot was a contagious disease in those countries (Bevcridgc 1981). Nevertheless, when research on the disease started in Australia in 1931 most pastoraiists and many veterinarians considered that the footrot common in this country since thc early days was a non-contagious condition caused by maceration of the feet exposcd to wet conditions. The misapprehension prevailing at the timc is shown in a New South Walcs Dcpartrnent of Agriculture leaflet by H.G.Bclschncr (1930).

Bclschner described two "forms" of footrot: "Simple footrot, the ordinary widespread, so- called non-contagious form ... due to continual moisture of the feet on wet Country"; and the "the contagious form". His description of "simple" footrot could pass for footrot due to Bacreroides nodosus. His description of "contagious footrot" is confused; it is a mix of virulent nodosus footrot and foot abscess. He said it is often difficult to distinguish between the two forms clinically but a diagnosis of the contagious form could be made by demonstrating Fclsoforn~isnecropllorurn in smears.

So in 1931 the first experiment was an attempt to produce footrot by keeping sheep standing in two inches of water. When it was found that maceration does not cause footrot, the way was open for a search for a bacterial cause. I was able to establish (a) that footrot is a specific transmissible disease and the causal agent was not F. necrophorum as had been believed; and @) the causal agent did not survive for more than a week or two away from a diseased sheep's foot, so eradication is possible. 'But after four years full- timc research I was still not able to identify the causal agent. Then a lucky chance Lead to the breakthrough. I temporarily ran out of sheep serum to add to the culture medium I had bccn using, so substituted horse serum. At last I produced a culture that caused footrot when inoculated into sheep's feet and I was able to identify B. nodosus as the essential transmitting agent. Surprisingly, it turned out that sheep serum inhibits B. nodosus but horse serum enhances its growth.

As often happens, the story circles back. Belschner was not completely wide of the mark with his two forms of thc disease. Today we distinguish behveen benign and virulent footrot due to different strains of B. nodosus. As the French say "le plus ca change, lc plus c'cst la memc chose" (the more it changes, the more it is the sanlc thing).

Bcveridge, W.I.B. (1981) The early history of footrot. Ovine footrot. Report of workshop at University of Sydney May 1981 p 200.

Bclschncr, H.G. (1930) Discascs of Animals No 26 Footrot of Shecp. NSW Department of Agriculture.

First experience with the heroic treatment of lungworm in sheep - Eddie McBarron

It was in the 1940s when, appointed Inspector of Stock at Holbrook, I received a request from the manager of Burra Station near Tumbarumba to treat his sheep, probably wcthcrs, who wcrc "badly infested with lungworms". This was bcforc the dictum was acccptcd that lungworn~swcrc the last to infest and first to go as the health improved by control of gut worms and improvement by nutrition and paddock hygiene.

Keith Ryan, my 'neighbouring inspector of the ,Wagga district obtained a supply of the formidable intra-tracheal mixture - one part each of creosote and chloroform, two parts of turpentine, and four.parts of olive oil. The dose was 4 ml injected bctwecn the rings of the trachea with a short thick needle. This treatment figured in Ross and Gordon's standard textbook of 1936 and was "recommended by the State Departmcnt,~of Agriculture".

The treatment started on the floor of the shcaring shed and the treated sheep thrown down the chute to a counting out pen. I was somewhat dismayed by the deep gasp and choking sound immediately after the injection, so after 20 minutes went to see the treated sheep. It was a shock to see a pile of sheep at the base of the chute in apparent extremis. The mass was quickly disentangled and all survived. 'After that there was more care in the post- operative phase of lungworm treatment.

It is noted that this treatment with the same formula figured in a 1949 French "Vade Mecum du Veterinaire" with origin attributed to McGrath. 8

MEMBERS OF SQCm

Below is a list of the Foundation Members of the Society as a( 1 March 1992.

Dr Harold Albiston Dr H.G. Bruhl 11 Nicholson St 6 Leonard St NORTH BALWYN VIC 3104 HORNSBY NSW 2077

Dr J.H. Arundel Dr Douglas I. Bryden 59 Illawarra Road PO Box A561 HAWTHORN VIC 3122 SYDNEY SOUTH NSW 200

Dr J. Aspley Davis Mrs Janet Bullard 82 Hardwick Cres 26 Scott st HOLT ACT 2615 BELLFIELD NSW 2191

Dr J Auty Dr Rex Butterfield 13 Raphael St 83 Lower Valley Road ABBOTSFORD VIC 3067 HAZELBROOK NSW 2779

Dr Keith Baker Dr P.J. Byrne 65 Latimer RD The Old Durham Ox Inn BELLWE HILL NSW 2023 DURHAM OX 3756

Dr M Barton Dr P. Canfield 11 Weemala Drive Department of Veterinary Pathology MITCHAM SA 5062 UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY NSW 2006 Professor W.I. Beveridge 5 Bcllvue Road Dr John Chalmers WENTWORTH FALLS NSW 2782 "Lochiel" Gregadoo Road Professor D C Blood WAGGA NSW 2650 209 Walton Street WERRIBEE VIC 3030 Ms R. Clayton Librarian Mrs P. Brown Australian Academy of Science "The Blue Gate" GPO Box 783 160 Mona Vale Road ACT 2601 INGLESIDE HEIGHTS NSW 2101 Dr P.S. Cole Dr E.N. Browne 59 Springbank Road "Savaun" COLONEL LIGHT GARDENS SA P.O. Box 30 5041 BINALONG NSW 2584 Dr Victor Colc Profcssor T.K. Ewcr P.O. Box 301 "Oakridgc" GOULBURN NSW 2580 WINSCOMBE AVON BS25 ILZ ENGLAND UK Dr Norman Combcn "Gillams" Dr J.T. Farraghcr Cross Oak Road 28 Parlington St BERKHAMSTED HERTS HP43NA CANTERBURY VIC 3126 ENGLAND UK Dr G.E. Fcwstcr Dr David de Frcdrick 39 Farm Rd P.O. Box 2 CHELTENHAM VIC 3192 NARRABRI NSW 2390 Dr John Fisher Dr Kevin Dobson Economics Dcpartmcnt 6 Reynell Road UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE ROSTREVOR SA 5073 NSW 2308

Dr Dcs Dowling Dr R.W. Gce 3 Shcarcr Court 81 Ronald Avenue SOUTHPORT QLD 4215 LANE COVE NSW 2066

Dr Don Duncan Dr Andrew Gibson "Warmington Lodgc" "Burmngurroolong" Rossi Strcct GOULBURN NSW 2580 YASS NSW 2582 Dr Hcathcr Gibson Dr M.B. Dunklcy "Burmngurroolong" 70 Keira Strcct GOULBURN NSW 2580 WOLLONGONG NSW 2500 Dr Patricia Giesccke Dr Bruce Eastick 16 Gulhiew Road P.O. Box 163 BLACKWOOD SA 5051 GAWLER SA 5118 Dr Hugh Gordon Profcssor P English 4 Krui Strcet Veterinary School FAIRLIGHT NSW 2094 University of Qucensland ST LUCIA QLD 4067 Dr I.M. Gunn Yarravicw Vctcrinary Hospital Dr J.W. Evans 484 Maroondah Highway 121 Hillside Terrace LILYDALE VIC 3140 ST LUCIA QLD 4067 Dr R.A. Hall Dr R.E. Evcrctt 2 Dcnnison St P.O. Box 169 HORNSBY NSW 2077 ARMIDALE NSW 2350 DR A.N.A. Harris Dr K. Jacobs 21 Cantcrbury Chase Canberra Veterinary Hospital LISMORE NSW 2480 P.O. Box 105 LYNEHAM ACT 2602 Dr Len Hart 262 Attunga Road Dr D Johns YOWIE BAY NSW 2228 13 Warri Crescent MACMASTERS BEACH NSW Dr K G Haughey 225 1 22 Stromlo Place RUSE NSW 2560 Dr N.B. King 9 Neverfail Place Dr I. Henry OATLEY NSW 2223 4 Worcester Placc TURRAMURRA NSW 2074 Dr R.P. Knight "Caimoorat" Dr -R.W. Hcwetson 6100 Glenormiston R.S.D. Rous Mill TERANG VIC 3264 ALSTONVILLE NSW 2477 Dr L C Lloyd DR T.W. Hogarth 11 Fewster Road P.O. Box 1 HAMPTON VIC 3188 DARLINGTON WA 6070 Dr K.S. Martel Dr John Holt 41 Cooper St P.O. Box 276 COOTAMUNDRA NSW 2590 HURSTVILLE NSW 2220 Dr E.J. McBarron Dr D. Howell 125 Dumaresq St 9/11 Fielding St CAMPBELLTOWN NSW 2560 COLLAROY NSW 2097 Dr I.W. Montgomery Dr K.L. Hughes 50 Intervale Drive Veterinary Science MALLACOOTA VIC 3892 UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND QLD 4072 Dr D Murray 17 Ashmore Ave Dr Tom Hungerford . PYMBLE NSW 2073 38 Bums Road WAHROONGA NSW 2076 Dr Peter Mylrea 13 Sunset Avenue Dr R.H. Hyne CAMDEN NSW 2570 News Road WEROMBI NSW 2570 Professor Mal Nairn P.O. Box 38690 WINNELLIE NT 0821 Dr L G Ncwton Dr Pan~claShort 7 Rushbrook St 449 Victoria Road REDLAND BAY QLD 41 65 GLADESVILLE NSW 21 1 1

Dr Virginia 0sbornc Dr A N Sinclair 22 Balmoral St 22 Bligh Crcsccnt BLACKTOWN NSW 2148 SEAFORTH NSW 2092

Dr L. Pocklcy O.B.E. Dr W.S. Smith 19 Boomcrang Drivc 54 Sturdcc Strcct GOULBURN NSW 2580 LINDEN PARK SA 5065

Dr W.J. Pryor Dr W.H. Stcphcns RMB N141 4 Wcntworth Strcct SCOTSBURN VIC 3357, LAUNCESTON TAS 7250

Dr Milcs Pulsford Dr D. F. Srcwart 3 Brucc Strcct 237 Hot Hill Road BROADVIEW SA 5083 BLACKHEATH NSW 2785

Dr R Purscll Dr A.K. Suthcrland 11 Wollombi Road 11 Epping St BILGOLA PLATEAU NSW 2107 MALVERN EAST VIC 3145

Professor M Rex Mrs Jcssica Taylor Veterinary Science 11 Ardoinc Strcct UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND BLACK ROCK VIC 3193 QLD 4067 Mrs L. Taylor Dr R.A. Ricdcl "Wcirvicw" 22 Hilltop Avcnuc HARDEN NSW 7,587 WOLLONGONG NSW 2500 Dr R.I. Taylor Dr Richard T. Roc "Wcirvicw" PO Box 78 HARDEN NSW 2587 NARRANDERA NSW 2700 Dr Jan Todd Dr R.J. Rubira 6 Balowric Strcct P.O. Box 388 YOWlE BAY NSW 7238 BENALLA VIC 3673 Dr W.A. Tylcr Dr Ncvillc Sandcrs 70 Kcira Strcct Lot 2 Ironbark Road WOLLONGONG NSW 3-500 YARRAMBAT VIC 3091 Dr Graham Ward Dr John Shilkin 33 Wirrcanda Court 6/26 Bar~ificldRo:d BLACKBURN VIC 3130 CLAREMONT WA 6010 Dr H.M. Ware 51 King Strect NARRANDERA NSW 2700

Dr Roy Watts 12 Kingfisher St INGLEBURN NSW 2565

Dr Richard Webb P.O. Box 84 GLOUCESTER NSW 2422

Dr Arthur Webster Snr Arthur Webster Pty Ltd PO Box 234 BAULKHAM HILLS NSW 2153

Dr John K.M. Wellington 57 Liston St BURWOOD VIC 3125

Dr D.S. Wishart 16 Berkley St CASTLEMAWE VIC 3450

Dr Brian Woolcock 23 Lochiel St KENMORE QLD 4069

Professor A.T. Yarwood 8012 Crows Nest Road WAVERTON NSW 2060