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endless danger, and through him the disease is spread. In my opinion, if it is
necessary to destroy and pay compensation for surra infected camels of the
Silladar Camel Corps it is equally necessary to do so. in the case of the Grantee
Camel Corps.
72. The question whether privately owned camels found to be suffering
from surra should he destroyed and compensation given is a question to be
decided by the Civil authorities. Destruction without compensation, although
beneficial to the community, would be an individual hardship, and would in
my opinion lead to a great deal of trouble and dissatisfaction and cannot be
recommended.
73. The diseases most prevalent in this area, as far as I could discover,
were surra, pneumonia, colic, pus in the frontal sinuses, a form of influenza, and
mange. The term " Zahmat" appears to be applied to a variety of diseases,
and not to one specific disease. The treatment of disease adopted by the
camelmen is very crude, and consists of firing and bitter tonics, the hot iron being
the favourite remedy. Surra cases are often treated by asafoetida, and butter
milk. Wounds are covered with mud. In connection with the treatment of
disease I would point out that although each Grantee Camel Corps has one
Veterinary Duffadar, only five rupees are sanctioned for the purchase of drugs.
As the strength of each corps is over 1,000, the amount sanctioned for the
purchase of drugs is totally inadequate.
74.. Of animals that are grazed during the fly season in the area
bordering the Deg Nullah, very few will escape surra. Near village No. 146
I met one " Gehna Musalli " with 5 camels. Out of these 5 I found the surra
trypanosomes in 4. This man stated he had grazed his camels during the rains
in the Deg Nullah, and a fortnight previously 2 of his camels had died. A
good number of dead dogs were noticed during the tour, and in many villages
the deaths were attributed to surra and mange. Whether the villagers were
right in their diagnosis I am unable to say, but I am inclined to think they
are, as they stated the symptoms of surra in the dog perfectly correctly. In
a few villages the villagers stated that deaths from surra amongst ponies
occurred. Passing through village Lundianwalla, Jaranwalla Tahsil, I noticed
a dead donkey and 2 dead dogs. I ascertained that in this village 50 donkeys
out of 53 had died during the year, also several dogs. I examined 2 donkeys
that were in the village, and in the blood of one the surra trypanosome was
present. Three camels only are kept in this village ; of these one had strayed,
one was away, and the third, although no trypanosomes were present in the
blood at the time of my examination, had the appearance of being surra
infected. As the donkeys do not leave the village but are used to bring mud
from a short distance from the village for the manufacture of' pots, in all pro-
bability they had contracted the disease from the camels. The dogs had
contracted the disease by eating the dead surra donkeys.
In the majority of villages the men stated that surra was common
amongst camels, and that the disease was more prevalent after the canal came
than it was before.
In Chakoo jungle I met one " Mahomed " with about 70 female and
young camels. They belonged to him and his relatives. This was an old man
who had done nothing but look after camels. He informed me that out of the
70 camels 50 were surra infected: I examined 32 and out of this number the
surra trypanosome was found in four. During the last two years they had lost
60 camels principally from surra.
75. The area is unsuited for camel breeding owing to the want of
grazing areas. According to the census returns there is an increase in the
number of camels. These returns are compiled by the figures supplied by the
patwaris, and it is open to question whether these figures can be relied upon
owing to the fact that the patwari can only count those camels that happen to
be in the village; with regard to those that are away grazing, the number
stated by the camelmen has to be accepted. From my inquiries, I think, the
number of females have decreased and that the price of camels has increased.