6
29. These results are very good, but none of these oases appear to have
been acute.
30. Two hundred and sixty-eight animals belonging to zaniindars were
treated during the year.
31. General remarks.—"When camels have been subjected to treatment
for surra it is very difficult to state for how long it is necessary to make daily
examination of the blood after the treatment is completed to decide whether a
cure has been effected. A camel may go for months after the treatment is
finished without showing trypanosomes In one case treated in the 54th Silla-
dar Camel Corps a camel, although regarded as cured, relapsed after 4 months.
(As far as could be ascertained this was not a case of re-infection). In the
51st and 52nd Silladar Camel Corps I found the trypanosome of surra in two
cases, which had been treated some months previously and were regarded as
having been cured. The blood of these camels had been daily examined for
three months before they were returned to work and found negative. The in-
oculation of the blood into guinea-pigs is found unreliable as a test Experi-
ments will be carried out, and it is hoped that some reliable method may be
found by means of which it can be established whether a cure has been reslly
effected, without the necessity of making daily blood examinations for
months.
32. For the diagnosis of surra in Silladar Camel Corps spasmodic exami-
nation of the blood is practically useless. If the blood of all the camels when
on employed pay could be examined daily and the examinations were carefully
carried out, every case of surra could be diagnosed, and no better method could
be adopted. But as the number of camels on employed pay number between
300 and 400, it is impossible for so many blood examinations to be daily carried
out by any Veterinary Daffadar. In the place of spasmodic examination of the
blood of camels on employed pay I would recommend that the evening tempera-
ture of all camels be taken daily and noted on charts. The blood of any camel
showing an abnormally high temperature should be examined and all suspected
cases segregated. If Veterinary Daffadars are supplied with 10 half-minute
thermometers, with the help of the sarwans the temperatures of 300—400 camels
could be taken in a comparatively short time and a record of the temperature
and the result of any blood examinations, while on employed pay, could thus
be kept. Although at times trypanosomes may be present in the blood of
a camel without a very marked rise of temperature, as a routine method I
consider this method will give better results than spasmodic blood examination.
At present only two Veterinary Daffadars are attached to each corps. As the
diagnosis of surra takes time and has to be carefully done, the services of an-
other Veterinary Daffadar for each corps should be engaged.
33. On unemployed pay very little can be done regarding Veterinary
control. Only by frequent inspection by Commandants, by the taking of the
temperatures at these inspections and the examination of the blood of those
camels showing abnormally high temperatures can the disease be kept under
control. Frequent inspections, however, cannot be made by Commandants if
they are called upon to perform other duties and consequently have not the
time to perform frequent inspections.
34. In my opinion Commandants have not the time to supervise the
veterinary control of their camels without neglecting their legitimate work.
During military operations I understand that officers of the Army Veterinary
Corps have the professional control of all camels of the various corps, and in
my opinion the professional control of camels of the camel corps should be
in their hands, also during peace time, during which time these officers would
be able to make themselves conversant with the diseases and peculiarities of
the camel, the knowledge of which would be invaluable to them if at any time
military operations took place, and the high mortality which has usually taken
place in previous expeditions might thus be avoided.
35. Three hundred and eighty-three camels have been cast and sold
from the various camel corps.