Page 26 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 1

ONDERSTEPOORT 100
time. This discovery was followed by the development of the infection-treatment method of vaccination that effectively controlled the disease and is still in use today. In 1941 Babesia bovis, the Asian species of the organism causing redwater in cattle, was isolated for the first time, complicating the control of this disease. Several new drugs were tested for its treat- ment and the species had to be added to the existing vaccine against Babesia bigemina.
retain its own specialized chemical personnel. The CSIR would be responsible for all specialized chemical research outside the civil service. While excluding agricultural research from the mandate of the CSIR, Schonland made provision for the possibility of an eventual Agricultural Research Council (ARC). In 1947 du Toit, in his comments on a memo by Dr M.S. du Toit regarding the reorganization of the Department of Agriculture, supported the concept of an ARC. The first formal proposal for the formation of such a body was made by H.O. Mönnig in a memo to the Minister of Agriculture in 1950.
The techniques developed for the cultivation of bluetongue virus in embryonated eggs continued to be refined and by 1942 six strains had been identified, three of which
had been adapted to eggs and were in the
process of being attenuated. In 1944 an
experimental bluetongue vaccine, that was
to remain in use for more than a decade, was
produced in eggs by Alexander. Also in 1944,
R.M. (Rene) du Toit made the important
discovery that both bluetongue and African
horsesickness viruses are transmitted by
midges of the Culicoides genus. In the
same year Onderstepoort provided African
horsesickness vaccine to Egypt as part of
the war effort. A new disease of cattle
appeared during 1944 in the Union and soon
developed into an epidemic with serious
economic consequences. It was promptly
named ‘knopvelsiekte’ or lumpy skin disease
by the farmers and was later shown by
Onderstepoort scientists to be of viral origin.
The post-war years (1945-1948) can
be regarded as a period of reconstruction
and consolidation, on both national and local level. Nationally
26 it involved a total reorganization of research in the country, a process that led to the establishment of the CSIR and a complete change of face of the research scene. As Director of the largest government-funded dedicated research institute in the country at the time, and as a member of the National Research Council (NRC), P.J. du Toit played a key role in the process. The NRC was established in 1939 following a proposal made by the South African Association for the Advancement of Science (S2A3) in 1934 to the then Minister of Education, J.H. Hofmeyr. It served as an advisory body to the government and also incorporated the National Research Grant Board that was responsible for allocating grants from Carnegie and government funds to individuals and universities. Du Toit was also a member of this body for many years.
In 1945 the CSIR succeeded the NRC with B.J.F. Schonland as its first President and du Toit as a member of its Board. In the same year a commission was appointed to investigate the reorganization of the civil service. One of the proposals to the commission was the centralization of all chemical services and research in the Directorate Chemical Services of the Department of Agriculture. Du Toit strongly opposed excessive centralization and was supported by Schonland who submitted that each government department should
P.J. du Toit was also chairman of the Agricultural Research Advisory Council from 1940. When government requested all departments to prepare a post-war re- construction programme, a reconstruction committee of this council recommended inter alia greater support for research, an improved extension service, bursaries to promote improved education and better salaries to attract and retain researchers. Du Toit had already complained in 1942 in a minute to the Secretary of Agriculture that Onderstepoort was on the decline as a research institute mainly as a result of the loss of staff and a lack of interest for veterinary training. The situation became critical in 1945 when 17 members or one third of the professional staff resigned. In 1947 Quinlan retired as Assistant Director and was replaced by Robinson whose post of Sub Director was only filled 18 months
later by Alexander.
Also in 1947 The Star newspaper published an article
on the ‘precarious position of Onderstepoort and its vaccine factory’ due to staff shortages. It mentioned that only 40 of the 73 posts for veterinarians in the civil service countrywide were filled, that only one officer was available to investigate the outbreak of lumpy skin disease, that the vaccine factory had the full-time service of only one professional and one trained assistant and that during the past 3 to 4 years only six qualifying students had joined the civil service. Clearly something was seriously wrong.
The situation had an interesting sequel during the following year (1948). The Smuts government had developed a strategy to ease the situation by importing foreign veterina- rians to fill the vacancies. In reaction the veterinary students called a strike on 18 March, as they objected to this policy and complained about unacceptable service conditions for veterinarians in the civil service. The main instigator and orga- nizer was A.B. (Ben) la Grange, the students’ house chairman, and all the students participated. The strike was most success- ful, partially because a new government had been voted into power in the meantime who could blame the previous govern- ment for the fiasco. The strike received tremendous publi- city, was discussed in Parliament and received the immediate
“A new disease of cattle appeared during 1944 in the Union and soon developed into an epidemic with serious economic consequences. It was promptly named ‘knopvelsiekte’ or lumpy skin disease by the farmers and was later shown by Onderstepoort scientists to be of viral origin.”
PART 1
Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute: General History
1908-2008
Years