John Borthwick (veterinary surgeon)

John Dowie Borthwick (1867 - 1936) was a veterinary surgeon in the Cape Colony, South Africa

For other people with the name John Borthwick, see John Borthwick (disambiguation)
John Dowie Borthwick
Born(1867-10-31)31 October 1867
Kirkliston, Scotland
Died18 June 1936(1936-06-18) (aged 68)
Pretoria, South Africa
Alma materEdinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Known forfinding a prophylaxis for lamsiekte in cattle
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Edith Walton
Scientific career
Fieldsveterinary medicine

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 Edington[2] who was his close colleague witnessed the marriage.[3] 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,[4] Colonial Veterinary Surgeon to the Cape of Good Hope.[5] Jotello Festiri Soga the first black South African vet worked with him as Hutcheon's second assistant.[6]

In 1892 he joined Alexander Edington in his laboratory (previously buildings in the Royal Engineers yard[lower-alpha 1]) in Grahamstown. Borthwick served as Edington's assistant in the study of animal diseases until 1893 when he was succeeded by Thomas Bowhill[7][8]

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.[9] His work was quoted as recently as 2012 by Bigalke.[10]

Military service

During the Boer War he served in the Town Guards and District Mounted Troops.[11]

Notes and references
  1. Location of the Royal Engineers' Yard in Grahamstown 33°18′40″S 26°31′10″E
  1. Vets Past AB.
  2. Biography of Alexander Edington at the S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science
  3. Stanton.
  4. Biography of Duncan Hutcheon at the S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science
  5. Wills 1905, p. 220.
  6. Vets Past QRS.
  7. Posthumus 1990.
  8. Biography of Thomas Bowhill at the S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science
  9. The Advertiser 1909.
  10. Bigalke 2012.
  11. AngloBoerWar.com.
  • Wills, Walter H. (1905). The Anglo-African Who's Who and Biographical Sketchbook, 1905. London: George Routledge and Sons.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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. PMID 23327122.
  • Nuttal, G.H.F. (1904). George H. F. Nuttal (ed.). "Canine Piroplasmosis". The Journal of Hygiene. Cambridge: At the University Press. 4: 219–257. doi:10.1017/s0022172400002151. PMC 2236123.
  • "Interesting Reports". The Advertiser. Adelaide, South Australia. 12 January 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  • "Vets Past AB". National Directorate Veterinary Services. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
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