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mp Scugog Citizen -- Tuesdiry, September 14, 1993 -- 7 4a Doc Christie: a half century as a veterinarian by Heather McCrae It"s been a little over fifty years since Don "Doc" Christie graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph and began practising in Scugog Township. Today, at age 71, "Doc" is still working, but on a much smaller scale, doing a bit of bloodtesting on cattle being exported to the US and some horse work. Donald Carlyle Christie was born and raised in Manchester on what is known as the Christie farm between Manchester and Prince Albert. His education was received in a one room public school in Manchester and Port Perry High School. When Dr. Christie was a_ young boy, Dr. Russell Cowie, a vet with the Health of Animals branch in Bowmanville, would come to the farm periodically to do bloodtesting on the cattle. Thie man could see the interest the young boy had in the animale and initiated the idea of him pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. It was in the fall of 1939 when Don Christie started his studies at OVC. During that era the vet's program was four years, after then it was increased a year and today the veterinary curriculum is a total of six years. There were" 42 in Dr. Christie's graduation class that June of 1943; twenty-two are living today and fourteen members attended their fiftieth class réunion held this past June in Guelph. In a recent interview with the Citizen, Dr. Christie can still recall quite vividly the graduation ceremonies on that Friday night, over a half century ago. The next evening Dr. Christie, his brother, Fred, and a buddy, Frank Honey, purchased a new suit of clothes, then went "out on the towr" and landed back on 'the farm rather late. Dr. Christie relates he tried to sleep in that Sunday morning but he was soon to find out what the life of a country vet was all about. With the phone rifiging off the wall at 9 a.m.. he soon discovered it to be a call from Dr. G.R. (George) Booth of Oshawa, a rural vet, sick in bed with the mumps. Would Dr. Christie, 'the fresh new graduate, give him a hand? That was the day Dr. Christie started treating numerous animals throughout the township on the eight calls he did that day. He remained with Dr. Booth for the rest of that summer. The war was still raging overseas and many wounded soldiers always feared the chances of getting a gangrenous infection, and for the treatment of such, anti- serums and anti-toxins were needed in great demand. It was in the fall of 1943 that Dr. Christie went to work at Connaught Laboratories in North Toronto where he . Turn to page 31 worked with horses to produce these estimable anti-serums and anti-toxins, When the war ceased in 1945 Dr. Christie returned home to the family farm to hglp his brother, Fred, and father . A brother, Johnny, was overseas with the airforce at that time and a younger brother, Mac, was still in high school. Dr. Christie's father and brother were more than glad to have him home to help with the farming operation. Soon after his arrival home neighbours and farmers began pressuring him to start up a veterinary practice. Thus, Dr. Christie began his practice, operating out of the farmhouse, doing mostly large animal work. Dr. Christie began dating a girl he'd gone to high school with, Grace Demara from Scugog Island, and the couple married in September 1948, living with her in-laws for the first six months. In the winter of 1949 Dr. Christie and his bride moved to where Dr. & Mrs. Ralph Price dive today, the farm east of the family tead, and he tinued to operate his practice out of this house until March 1961. The life of a country vet wasn't easy in those days. Dr. . Christie recalls his first car was a 1946 Plymouth, a basic car without the luxury of a heater or radio. 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