And Death Shall Have No Dominion Under The Windings of the Sea

Ivor Thomas (1920-41) was born in Laugharne, Wales, but in his youth moved with his family to London.  In 1937 he entered the Royal Veterinary College, and at the outbreak of war suspended his studies and was commissioned in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In July 1942 he volunteered for special and hazardous duties, in X-craft, or midget submarines.

In the autumn of 1942 he married Josephine Parker, and a few weeks later reported for duty on the Isle of Bute. Training with Lieutenant Godfrey Place in the waters around Bute, tragedy struck on 11 December 1942 when Ivor Morgan was lost at sea. His body was never recovered. He is commemorated in numerous places around the UK, including his hometown of Laugharne.

Paul Watkins

Contagious bovine Pleuropneumonia: A Tale of Two Countries

Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) was first recorded in the early 18^th Century, but in the 19^thCentury was responsible for an epizootic which had a devastating impact on cattle in both Great Britain and the USA, affecting the transatlantic livestock trade. The paper provides a narrative analysis of the disease’s impact in the 19^th Century, pursuing three main threads, namely scientific discovery, international trade and economics, and leadership.

Robin A J Nicholas and Justin Kastner

Virtual Reconstruction of the 1886 Edinburgh Veterinary College

The development of facilities for the Edinburgh Veterinary College from 1819 are described. Initially based in Clyde Street there were significant developments during the following 60 years. In 1886, demolition of existing buildings was followed by redevelopment of the college on the Clyde Street site. Using plans and photographs the authors provide a detailed set of views of the facilities, with both exterior and interior aspects of the new building. There is also an illustration of the exterior shape of the original building.

Alastair A Macdonald, Ketan Lad, Valentin J Hunzinger and Colin Warwick

From Babylon to Downing Street: The Rinderpest Prayer

The paper describes in detail how a Babylonian legend about disease and mythical gods became a part of Christian theology for more than 2000 years.  The diagnosis of rinderpest in Great Britain for the first time in March 1866 resulted in significant scientific research and the government subsequently rejecting the Church’s proposal of prayer and national humiliation. At this time there was also the creation of a state-run veterinary service.

Bruce Vivash Jones

The Historical Names of Animal Diseases: An African Perspective

This paper draws attention to the still widespread use of popular terms for livestock diseases in Africa. In several cases, the name relates to the geographical area where the disease was first described. The authors argue that the continued use of vernacular terms in this way is important not only for detailing the traditional distribution of disease, but also from the stance of veterinary history. 

John Cooper and Margaret Cooper

A Case of Mistaken Identity, Reginald Lovell MRCVS and Fleming’s Culture

A man of Dorset, Reginald Lovell (1897-1972) served in the Yeomanry in the Middle East during World War 1 before qualifying as a veterinary surgeon from the Royal Veterinary College in 1923. His professional career was focussed on bacteriology. Whilst working at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine he was involved in critical studies of the identification of Penicillium and developing techniques for extraction of Penicillin. He was one of the first veterinary surgeons to use Penicillin in veterinary medicine.

Paul Watkins