124 The Salmon 
diseased fish to other dead fish in the same water; and 5th, from dead 
fish to living.” 
I do not agree with Dr. Patterson, however, in regard to No. 3 
above. As I have already mentioned, I made a special study of the fish 
which came up the river Almond from the Tay. Sometimes about a 
hundred came up in one day and could get no farther. In two days about 
half of these fish became diseased, and in other two days the remainder 
became affected. None seemed to escape and almost all died. Surely 
they could not all have had abrasion or ulceration of the skin, as they 
had no rocks to pass or weirs to surmount, and were only one mile 
from tidal water. 
I have always wondered how a salmon was able to take care of 
itself in the sea, for we see them brought ashore without a scratch or 
a scale ruffled. I believe that every salmon on entering a river is 
subject to disease. Fish, if not badly affected while spawning, often 
revive in the kelt stage, go to the sea, and return again. About 
April many of the kelts heal up quickly. It is not so, however, with 
the clean fish; they continue falling down the river, and are daily 
caught in the nets. I have been told that since the storage of water 
was commenced in the Helmsdale the disease has disappeared. 
Before the water was stored I have counted dead fish by the score in it. 
Dr. Patterson says Lacillus salmonis pestis grows well in the sea 
water, whereas Saprolegnia does not grow. Therefore a diseased 
salmon entering the sea and returning to the river apparently free 
from fungus cannot be said to be free from the disease. Many people 
believe that a diseased salmon on entering salt water is cured of the 
disease, if this were the case there would be some chance of its 
dying out; but there is not the least doubt that Dr. Patterson is 
right, for if it were not so the disease might appear in one river 
and not in another. I am strongly of opinion that the disease 
came from the Eden at Carlisle, where it first made its appearance ; 
that from there it was carried to the East Coast by gulls, found its 
way to the Tweed, and from.thence to all the rivers north of the 
Tweed as far as to the Thurso on the North Coast. 
