4
15. The other causes of deaths do not call fox any special mention.
16. The mortality of the Grantee Camel Corps cannot be compared
with that of the Silladar Camel Corps, as the camels of the Grantee Camel
Corps do practically no work during the whole year.
17. I have been informed that it is suggested that the grazing grounds
for the 54th Silladar Camel Corps should he changed. I have not had any
opportunity of inspecting these rakhs during the surra season. The mortality
returns show only 14 deaths from surra. Before changing the grazing grounds
for this corps the advantages and disadvantages of such a course should be
carefully considered.
18. Surra treatment.—As the results of experiments carried out by
Mr. Leese regarding the treatment of surra in camels, a certain number of
animals were cured by combinations of soamin, arsenic and tartar emetic.
The methods employed were modifications of the treatments, by means of
which Major Holmes and myself successfully treated a large number of cases
of surra in horses at Muktesar laboratory.
In Mr. Leese's last report
(Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India, Veterinary Series,
Volume I, No. 3, April 1913,) 62 per cent. of recoveries were claimed by
" 668 " method, which he states gave the best results. This percentage is
arrived at from the treatment of 9 animals only. To arrive at a correct
percentage of cures that may be expected from any treatment for surra a
larger number of animals must be submitted to the treatment. The results
so far obtained are very encouraging, and considering that the treatment of
surra in camels is still in the experimental stage only, the results obtained
in the field, although a very large percentage of cures has not been obtained,
show that a great amount of progress has been made. In many cases treated,
the disease has doubtless not been of a very virulent type, and what percentage
of cures in acute cases can be expected from any one method of treament
remains to be investigated. I find that several people believe that if a camel
suffering from surra has been cured by medicinal treatment, the camel is not
susceptible to reinfection. Such an idea is totally erroneous. A camel that
has been cured is as liable to become re-infected as an animal that has never
had surra. Those camels that have undergone spontaneous recovery, however,
may be immune. That such cases may be immune to re-infection is supported
by Colonel Pease's experiments (see Journal of Tropical Veterinary Science,
Volume III, No. 4,1908.)
At Dura Ismail Khan.
19. Cases of surra treated.—From the local transport camels at
Dera Ismail Khan 82 cases of surra
were submitted to treatment by various
methods (" 668 ", "264", "178"). Twenty-one were cured, 55 relapsed
and 6 died from arsenical poisoning. The percentage of cures was 25.6.
Out of the 55 cases that relapsed 43 were again treated (some being submitted
to a third and fourth treatment) resulting in 18 cures, 4 deaths and 21
relapses. Percentage of cures after 2 or more treatments was 41.8. The total
number of cures out of 82 treated was therefore 39, a percentage of 47.5.
At Martian.
20. Twenty-four cases were treated (by "264 and " 668 "or by
modification of these methods), 2 were
cured, 20 relapsed and 2 died, giving a
percentage of cures of 8.3. Out of the 20 relapsed cases, 17 were submitted
to a 2nd or 3rd or 4th treatment (" 264 " and "668" methods) 11 relapsed,
5 cured and one died, giving a percentage 29.4. The final result, 7 cures out
of 24, a percentage of 29.1.
At Sohawa.
21. Silladar Camel Corps camels—Thirty-five camels were treated
(by " 668 " and " 264 " treatments) for
the Silladar Camel Corps at Sohawa, 19
were cured, 4 relapsed and 12 died, giving a percentage of 54.2.