14
The operation of trephining has been explained in detail to commandants
and transport veterinary duffadars.
As far as is known at present, the cause of the disease is :—
(1) Chronic catarrh.
(2) Suppurative alveolar periostitis attacking the socket of a molar
tooth.
(3) Blows and entrance of foreign bodies.
The disease can be diagnosed—
(1) by percussion, instead of a hollow sound a dull sound will be ob
served in the sinuses due to the accumulation of pus ;
(2) very often there is a discharge from one or both nostrils ;
(3) the peculiar way in which the head is carried.
If the animal is operated on in the early stages of the disease a high per-
centage of cures should be obtained, but if a great deal of necrosis of bone has
taken place a high percentage of cures will not be obtained. If the camel is
not operated on, the camel as a rule dies from pneumonia and if post-mortems
are made, large quantities of pus will be found in the lungs.
30. Kaneir poisoning (Nermn odorum).—Owing to the large number
of deaths reported while on unemployed pay from kaneir and to the fact that
no reliable evidence could be obtained that the cause of death was kaneir
poisoning, the following experiments were carried out with kaneir :—
Three camels suffering from surra were used for the experiment. The
three camels were starved for 48 hours when fresh kaneir leaves were placed in
front of them. Two of the camels smelt it, but would not touch it; the third
took a little into his mouth, but immediately threw it out again.
The camels were allowed to graze and were fed for the next two days in
the usual way on bhoosa and gram. One camel was given two ounces of
ground—up kaneir leaves in bolus. The following were the symptoms pro-
duced :—
Twelve hours after receiving the kaneir leaves he became dull and went
off feed, 18 hours after the camel started to vomit, became very dull and died
39 hours after receiving the kaneir ; no diarrhoea was produced,
Post-mortem.—nothing abnormal.
The second camel was given 4 ounces of kaneir leaves, and went off feed
9 hours after, and became very dull, 12 hours after began to vomit; at the 18th
hour the dung became soft and an hour later the animal had acute diarrhoea,
24 hours after receiving the leaves he died.
Post-mortem.—Congestion of fourth stomach.
The third camel was given 4 ounces of kaneir leaves. As soon as he
developed symptoms of poisoning he was given Mag. Sulph., Anion. Carb.
and strychnine sub cut. A few hours after he appeared better and started
feeding a little bhoosa, but finally died—36 hours after receiving the kaneir.
Although a good number of camels are reported as dying from kaneir
poisoning, it does not appear from the above that camels readily eat it (but
if they do, very little is sufficient to cause death). Although there is a lot
of kaneir at Sohawa and several camels are kept there all the year round
I have not had a case of kaneir poisoning.
Paper.—(Buxus semper virens). One camel was given 4 ounces of
papper in the same way as in the case of kaneir. This quantity produced
no symptoms of poisoning at all, unfortunately no more papper was available
to determine what quantity must be eaten to produce death.
The camel would not eat it when placed in front of him after being
starved for 48 hours. It is said that many camels die from eating this plant,
but I have not been able to get any reliable evidence as to whether they do