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 BaciUiis salmonis pestis grows well in the sea 

 water, whereas Saprolcgnia 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. 



