7
to 10th October. The grazing difficulty in dry years remains; but if the
Shahpur troops could get Phulai grazing on the Salt Range in April and May,
this would fortify them for the surra season in the Thal subsequently.
46. In purchasing camels from west of the Indus as is now being done, those
found containing large numbers of filarial embryos in the blood should be avoided
especially if they are not in first-class condition.
47. With regard to the filariasis in the 55th Corps, recent investigations show
that it is unlikely to. spread from infected camels in Montgomery district.
Segregation would under the circumstances cause greater trouble than the disease
itself.
48. The Anthrax cases probably depend on infection from a bovine source
and under Camel Corps conditions the vultures and jackals destroy the carcase
during the delay caused by confirming diagnosis; the indications of course are
to burn the entire carcase.
49. 57th (Multan) Cornel Corps.—This is the only Silladar Camel Corps
which shows a decrease in its mortality. It took no part in the Mohmand expedi-
tion and there is a considerable area of good grazing in Multan district hitherto
untouched by canals and probably free or nearly free from Tabanus. The
extension of canals will alter this condition in a few years, it is feared.
50. The health of the camels is good, judging from the large number that I
saw in January this year, and from the difficulty experienced in finding surra
cases (I found only 3 in the 86 animals picked out for testing as being likely
subjects).
51. The total number of surra cases found in the corps during the year
under report is six.
52. Bannu.—The camels here are those of the Supply and Transport (about
150 camels), 31st Punjabis (102 camels), and 51st Sikhs (102 camels). Owing to
the excessive mortality in the previous year, a large number of new purchases was
made in 1908 and in considering the mortality the old and new camels must be
taken separately.
53. Last year I pointed out that it would be chosing the lesser of two evils if
the camels in the surra months were removed to the high dry land nearer the
hills and given rations to back up the very scanty grazing rather than that they
should go to the better grazing near the river. A middle course was adopted
and the camels were grazed in the surra season of 1908 further from the river,
but in the area which comes under irrigation. The result as might be expected
is that the mortality in the "old" camels decreased but still remained high. I
have been over the area in which they grazed ana there is little doubt that Dhang
is present there in the surra months, though probably in considerably less
numbers than about the swamps near the river. I am informed that there is
now no grazing available in the district which is not in the fly area ; Bannu has
therefore become an unfavourable district for keeping camels in the hot weather.
The only alternative to the course mentioned in my last report would be to allow
them to graze in the irrigated area during the hottest hours of the day only,
when flies are less numerous and return them to sit well inside (1/2 mile) the
unirrigated land to receive a part ration of missa bhusa; the camels will not
graze well under these, circumstances.
54. I found 3 cases of surra out of 50 camels tested in a one day's examina-
tion of the ''old" camels in January 1909.
55. As to the new purchases, I examined about 50 picked cases and found
surra in 8 of them in a one-day examination ; I fear therefore that a large propor-
tion of them are affected with the disease. The reason of the great prevalence of
surra in the new purchases is that many of them were purchased in the middle
of the surra season in an infected district and at a low price ; and when bought,
many were brought across the Indus well within the surra season and there are