Dr. Björn Sigursson (1913‐1959) A Memorial Tribute

It is a privilege for me to have this opportunity to give a very brief talk on Dr. Bjorn Sigurbsson's life and work at this conference which highlights slow infections of the nervous system caused by conventional and non-conventional infections agents. As you know the pathogenesis of slow viral infections was Dr. Sigurbsson's great interest and subject of most of his studies during the last years of his all too short scientific career. I would, however, first like to say a few words on our ancestors' incessant struggle for survival in this rather hostile country where inclement weather conditions often prevail. Since the settling of Iceland over a millennium ago, farming and fishing have sustained its population. Sheep farming was the most important source of food; the sheep provided milk and meat, but also the raw materials for shoes, clothing and the waterproof skin garments indispensable for all fishermen on open boats, fishing off the coast of Iceland. Shortage of winter-feed for the sheep and other farm animals due to poor hayharvest, contagious diseases of sheep, and volcanic eruptions spreading poisonous ash over the pastures and grass-fields repeatedly brought famine to the human population in past centuries. The nineteenth century saw the first attempts, chiefly by Danish scientists, to deal systematically with diseases of domestic animals, primarily sheep, in this country, namely sheep scab, volcanic fluorosis, ecchinococcosis, and gastromycosis (braxy). With the founding of a Pathology chair in 1917 at the University of Iceland, and especially with the appointment in 1925 of professor Niels Dungal (1897-1965) to that chair, research in this field moved to Iceland. Dungal, although primarily concerned with human diseases and pathology, took a broad and vigorous interest in veterinary problems and made several lasting contributions to sheep disease research in this country. During the depression in the 1930s a flock of Karakul sheep was imported to Iceland from Germany. The intention was to start production of valuable lamb skins for the fur industry. These plans however turned out to be a sad miscalculation. This flock of imported sheep, although apparently healthy while kept in quaran-