13
Therefore we have since kept a look out for the parasite under the eyelids
of camels (which is probably their normal habitat) and have found three more
cases as follows :—
Case 2. Found by Veterinary Assistant, Atta Mohamed, in my absence.
In what is described as a cyst with watery contents situated on the inside of
the "haw" (membrana nictitans) of the eye of a camel not suffering from
conjunctivitis, 8 worms were found. I think this cyst must have been found
in the duct of the Harderian gland, which is large in the camel.
Case 3. I found 3 of the worms free under the " haw " and eyelids of a
camel which had no conjunctivitis.
Case 4 One male and one female under " haw " of a normal eye.
Of the 15 specimens found only 4 were males ; the length of the males
was 12 m.m. and the females vary from 10 to 21 m.m. They are very difficult
to see in situ and have probably been often overlooked.
One case was found in the dry hot weather and three in the cold weather,
so the parasite is probably not seasonal.
Its presence does not necessarily cause conjunctivitis ; the same has been
noticed with regard to the analogous parasites of horse and ox.
In these animals, when conjunctivitis is set up, the worms are got rid of
mechanically by raising the eyelids and haw and syringing underneath them
with weak Boracic Acid solution.
50. SOME OTHER PARASITES.—
Tænia centripunctata—(in small intestine) and Distoma lanceolatum
(in bile-duct) neither previously noted in the one-humped camel
have been met with this year.
Onchocerca fasciata (Raillet) has been found to be fairly common coiled
up in nodules in subcutaneous tissue. Out of a total of over 100 post mortems
ordinary Liver-flukes (D. hepaticum) have only been found twice ; and Linga
tula tænioides larvae on only one occasion, in the mesenteric glands.
None of these parasites caused any perceptible harm to their hosts.
51. KAPAULEE.—Under this name several different surgical diseases of the
camels' head are in reality included. These conditions have been studied
clinically for the last two years and are here briefly described.
52. (1) Simple subcutaneous abscess is very common about the frontal
region between the eyes and is due to blows from the heads of other camels,
especially when feeding bhusa ; from bites of other camels ; and from burrow-
ing thorns.
Camels' pus is very viscid, and the abscesses show little tendency to
evacuate themselves through the thick skin ; when the skin gives way at any
point most of the pus remains in the abscess, and the wound heals, only to burst
again later on. This is very characteristic of untreated abscesses in the camel.
In Kapaulee, consequently, the pus tends to burrow slowly generally following
the direction of the grooves and hollows of the surface of the face ; and from
the frontal region, cold abscesses are often formed below the eye and on the
side of the nose. Abscesses thus forming on the side of the nose more often
burst into the nostril (in front of the bones) or even into the mouth (on outside
of upper molars), than through the skin ; the former of course causes a one-
sided nasal discharge of pus ; this discharge is generally without smell and
does not indicate trouble in the frontal sinus, and stops if the abscess be pro-
perly evacuated.
The treatment is of course on the usual lines, but I have found it absolute-
ly necessary to have the animal in Veterinary hands until the wound is com-
pletely healed ; owing to the dryness and heat, and to the consistency of the
pus, the abscesses require most thorough attention and if the camel is taken
away too soon the wound will quickly dry up and pus will remain inside and
the abscess forms again.