John Borthwick (veterinary surgeon)
John Dowie Borthwick (31 October 1867 - 18 June 1936) was a veterinary surgeon in the Cape Colony, South Africa
Early life
Borthwick was born in Kirkliston, Scotland to John Borthwick (also a vet) and Janet Dowie. He studied veterinary medicine at the Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.[1]
Personal life
Borthwick married a descendant of the 1820 Settlers, Elizabeth Edith Walton in Grahamstown on 17 Mar 1893, The bacteriologist Alexander Eddington who was his close colleague witnessed the marriage.[2] He died at his Arcadia North home in Pretoria on 18 June 1936.
Veterinary work
Borthwick began his career in South Africa on 27 March 1889 as the first assistant to Duncan Hutcheon, Colonial Veterinary Surgeon to the Cape of Good Hope.[3] Jotello Festiri Soga the first black South African vet worked with him as Hutcheon's second assistant.[4]
In 1892 when he joined Alexander Eddington in his laboratory (previously buildings in the Royal Engineers yard 33°18′40″S 26°31′10″E / 33.311157°S 26.519553°E) in Grahamstown. Borthwick served as Eddington's assistant in the study of animal diseases until 1893 when he was succeeded by Thomas Bowhill[5]
Later he served as Assistant Veterinary Surgeon in various parts of the Cape Colony. In July 1906 he was promoted to the post of Chief Veterinary Surgeon vacated by Hutcheon when the latter was promoted to the post of Director of Agriculture. He then had 16 Assistant Veterinary Surgeons under his control in the Cape.[1]
Borthwick did important work in finding a prophylaxis for lamsiekte in cattle. He found feeding cattle bonemeal prevented the disease.[6] His work was quoted as recently as 2012 by Bigalke.[7]
Military service
During the Boer War he served in the Town Guards and District Mounted Troops.[8]
Notes and references
- Wills, Walter H. (1905). The Anglo-African Who's Who and Biographical Sketchbook, 1905. London: George Routledge and Sons.
- Posthumus, P.J. (Bill) (1990), Past Veterinarians in South Africa (PDF), Pietermaritzburg, p. 57, retrieved 4 August 2014
- Bigalke, Rudolph D. (8 October 2012). "Lamsiekte (botulism): solving the aetiology riddle". Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 83 (1): 508–512. doi:10.4102/jsava.v83i1.508.
- Nuttal, G.H.F. (1904). George H. F. Nuttal, ed. "Canine Piroplasmosis". The Journal of Hygiene (Cambridge: At the University Press) 4: 219–257.
- "Interesting Reports". The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia). 12 January 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- "Vets Past AB". National Directorate Veterinary Services. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
- "Vets Past QRS". National Directorate Veterinary Services. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
- Ellen Stanton. "Trinity Presbyterian Parish Records Grahamstown Marriages: 1849-1896". Albany 1820.com. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
- "AngloBoerWar.com". Retrieved 2014-08-04.