Dr Duncan Hutcheon : Cape Colony veterinarian

Abstract

Dr Duncan Hutcheon was appointed in 1880 as Colonial Veterinary Surgeon for the Cape Colony. Hutcheon can be regarded as the true pioneer in veterinary science in South Africa and was responsible for the elucidation of many previously unidentified diseases of livestock such as bluetongue in sheep, krimpsiekte (nenta) in sheep and goats, geilsiekte (prussic acid poisoning) in sheep and contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in Angora goats. He played a major role in the control of the rinderpest pandemic in Southern Africa (1896-1899). He published more than 200 articles, mainly in the Agricultural Journal of the Cape of Good Hope. (Source: S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science)