Page 11 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 1

became known, however, there was a huge public outcry, including resolutions by agricultural organizations and calls by various dignitaries in Pretoria and at the Transvaal University College to government to retain his services. Eventually the Prime Minister, General Louis Botha, intervened and negotiated an agreement according to which Theiler would remain Director of Veterinary Research until the 31 March 1918, or such time as Montgomery had been successfully installed as Director. Part of his duties would be the induction of Montgomery. He would then be employed on full salary for 6 months in Cape Town (to be near his children studying at the Univer- sity of Cape Town) in order to complete the compilation of his annual reports. This would be followed by 6 months leave and the payment of an honorarium, after which Theiler intended to return to Switzerland. He also agreed to Botha’s request that, if he decided to return to South Africa, Government would have first priority to his services.
Thus, soon after Montgomery arrived
on 18 January 1918, Theiler accompanied
him on a series of exhausting inspection
tours to various parts of the country as an
introduction to the agricultural community
and to regional health problems. Theiler’s
last day at Onderstepoort was 13 April
1918. After farewell speeches by J. Walker
in English, G. de Kock in Afrikaans and
R.J. White for the lay staff, Theiler replied
emotionally and then wrote his name in the famous visitors’ book with an appropriate message. He then departed for Cape Town where he not only enjoyed the many attractions of the mother city, but also applied himself diligently to the writing of his annual reports, while Montgomery
finally took office as the second Director of
Veterinary Research.
ONDERSTEPOORT 100
at the Faculty of Agriculture of the Transvaal University College, and Kehoe relocated to Dublin as Professor in Pathology. Veglia was still on active service in Italy and de Kock announced his intention to study medicine in the UK as soon as circumstances would permit it. The professional staff at Onderstepoort would therefore effectively be reduced to six: Montgomery, Mitchell, E.M. Robinson, Green, G. Bedford and A.O.D. Mogg, of which only the first three were veterinarians.
In January 1918 the new president of
the Vryburg Farmers Association, P.H. de
Kock, severely criticised the approach to
the lamsiekte problem and uttered the
fateful words ‘it would do no harm if some
of the experts became cattle herdsmen
which would assist them in finding the
cause of the disease’. At the time, Theiler regarded this as a terrible insult to him and reacted vehemently, but later had good
reason to remember it. The most serious problem was that there was nobody to
take charge of Armoedsvlakte at a point
in time when lamsiekte was considered
to be the economically most important
animal disease in the country, and the inability of Onderstepoort to find a cure was
even raised in Parliament. For Montgomery
there was only one solution: the reappoint-
ment of Theiler. He approached the Minis-
ter of Agriculture, H.C. van Heerden, who 11 agreed and in turn persuaded Theiler to
accept a special position as Director of
Lamsiekte Research with the sole mandate of solving the lamsiekte problem. To ease his task he was promised all the necessary facilities, staff and funding at Armoedsvlakte with complete freedom from administrative responsibilities as
well as attractive remuneration. A contract period of 2 years was envisaged.
Before anything could be implemented, however, disaster struck the country during October in the form of the global human influenza epidemic. At Onderstepoort all the black and 75% of the white staff were affected, including Montgomery and Viljoen. Theiler escaped infection but was soon invited to join the ‘Influenza Commission’, established to advise government on measures to control the epidemic. This meant a delay in implementing the lam- siekte strategy until the end of January 1919, when the commission submitted its final report. When planning of the facilities
With the war still raging in Europe and the concomitant isolation of South Africa in terms of scientific material, as well as the dwindling of his staff, 1918 soon turned into a nightmare for Montgomery. James Walker, who was a senior research officer, had left for Kenya as replacement for Montgomery and was in turn replaced by Mitchell from Allerton. Andrews, who had recently returned from extended sick leave, was sent to Pietermaritzburg in his place. Viljoen left Armoedsvlakte to take up a position as Professor in Veterinary Science
“...disaster struck the country during October in the form of the global human influenza epidemic. At Onderstepoort all the black and 75% of the white staff were affected, including Montgomery and Viljoen.”
Early days (1908-1927)
1908-2008
Years