Scotus

Doctor Scotus was a nutritionist based in Cardiff. He ran the Scotus Clinic.

As a veterinarian
Scotus worked as a veterinarian, and owned his own clinic just outside of Cardiff which specialised in farm animals. He was called to investigate the death of a cow which had a condition which he assumed to be BSE. Upon doing an autopsy, Scotus discovered an alien tapeworm living within the cow's stomach. He placed the parasite in a nutrient solution, causing it to grow into the next stage of it's evolution. The creature implanted it's eggs into his dog, killing the animal in the process. Scotus studied the eggs, implanting them in rats, cats and other dogs, eventually working out the life cycle of the tapeworm-like creatures.

Running the Scotus Clinic
Scotus believed he had found a way of making people slim and making himself rich at the same time. Scotus made a deal with the Cardiff criminal fraternity; they protected him, and carried out menial tasks, and in return he paid them a cut of the profits.

Scotus gave the eggs as pills to his clients including Lucy Sobel, Marianne Till and Rhys Williams.

His control over their life-cycle using herbs was not absolute. He also did not know until after he had prescribed his weight loss pill to a number of patients that the tapeworm could cause psychosis if it grew too large. Torchwood Three were able to give him the drug he had developed to kill the tapeworms. Scotus' parasite, though, was so integrated with its host that he died as well.

Appearance
Scotus was tall and thin. He wore a black suit with a high, round collar and a white, uncreased shirt. His blond hair was brushed back over his forehead, although there were some stray hairs which waved gently. He had a deep and confident voice, with a veneer of good fellowship. To Rhys Williams, he looked to be about 40, though he had a healthy face and could have been much older. He had hot, dry hands. (PROSE: Slow Decay)