Arnold Theiler | |
|---|---|
 Theiler in 1923 | |
| Born | (1867-03-26)26 March 1867 |
| Died | 24 July 1936(1936-07-24) (aged 69) |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Citizenship | South African citizenship |
| Alma mater | University of Zurich |
| Spouse | Emma Sophie Jegge |
| Children | Hans, Margaret,Gertrud,Max |
| Awards | K.C.M.G.[1] |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Veterinary infectious diseases |
Sir Arnold TheilerKCMG (26 March 1867 – 24 July 1936)[1]Pour le Mérite[1] is considered to be the father ofveterinary science inSouth Africa. He was born inFrick, Canton Aargau,Switzerland. He received his higher education, and later qualified as a veterinarian, inZurich. In 1891, Theiler travelled to South Africa and at first found employment as a farm worker on Irene Estates near Pretoria, owned byNellmapius, but later that year started practising as a veterinarian.
His success at producing avaccine to combat an outbreak ofsmallpox among the miners of theWitwatersrand brought him an appointment as state veterinarian for theZuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, in which capacity he served during theAnglo-Boer War of 1899–1902. During this period his research team developed a vaccine againstrinderpest, a malignant and contagious disease of cattle. His tremendous energy, pioneering spirit and professional integrity brought him international recognition.
He described in 1919 what is now known asTheiler's disease, a major cause of acute hepatitis in horses.[2] This disease is now known to be caused by a parvovirus.[3]
Theiler was the first Director of theOnderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute, outsidePretoria. This institute under his leadership carried out research onAfrican horse sickness,sleeping sickness,malaria, East Coast fever (Theileria parva) and tick-borne diseases such asredwater,heartwater andbiliary. TheUniversity of Pretoria Faculty of Veterinary Science was established there in 1920 which enabled veterinarians to train locally for the first time. Theiler became the firstdean of this faculty.
He married Emma Sophie Jegge (1861–1951) and had two sons and two daughters, the younger two of whom worked at Onderstepoort: Hans (1894–1947), a veterinarian; Margaret (1896–1988), a teacher;Gertrud (1897–1986), aparasitologist andprofessor; andMax Theiler (1899–1972), aNobel laureate in 1951 inPhysiology and Medicine.
