14
Theiler and Gray (quoted in Veterinary Journal, March 1907, page 162) state
that foot and mouth disease was recorded in Rhodesia in 1903 amongst a ship-
ment of camels for which the food (nature of which is not stated) was imported
specially from India; no foot and mouth disease in cattle had however been
observed for at least 10 years previously in Rhodesia; the sick camels were
killed and " the outbreak spread no further."
Steel (Diseases of camel, page 52) says that " foot and mouth disease
undoubtedly affects the camel and proves a source of considerable losses especial-
ly on service;" but for observations on the disease in the camel, he relies on
quotations from others, and there is nothing in his article to suggest that he
means that he has himself met with a case.
99. I have searched for this disease in the camel which is a great scourge to
other ruminants in the Punjab, during the whole of my touring but have never
found nor heard of a case, either from officers, salutris or native owners ; I have
camped for months and kept 20 to 25 camels grazing in localities in which foot
and mouth disease in cattle was at its height affecting a very large proportion of
animals (Kharian, October and November 1908 ; Sohawa, February and March
1909). No case occurred in my animals which grazed and travelled over infected
land and roads daily; neither were the zamindars' camels affected.
100. The following experiments were therefore carried out:—
1. A fresh unruptured vesicle from the foot of a bull the subject of foot and
mouth disease was opened and the liquid contents were at once rubbed into
scratches made in mucous membrane of the upper lip and others in the skin of
the hind foot of an 8-year old plains camel.
A cottonwool plug saturated with the liquid contained in the vesicle was
also administered as a " ball."
The camel developed no lesion during the following 4 months.
2. The saliva taken direct from a bullock with mouth lesions of foot and
mouth disease was rubbed into the abrasions (caused in grazing) found in the
mucous membrane of the lips and gums of a 7 year old plains camel. Plugs of
cotton wool saturated with saliva were also given as balls. Camel developed no
disease during the following 25 days.
3. The saliva of a bullock with severe mouth lesions of foot and mouth
disease was transferred to the mouths of 15 camels from 4 ½years of age upwards.
The majority of these camels had abrasions of the buccal mucous membrane, due to
thorns. 13 of these camels showed no disease for 20 days, one was killed on 8th
day and 1 on 13th day showing no sign of disease.
101. Owing to the danger to local animals I could not, without proper
accommodation, control these experiments with cattle or sheep.
102. I am endeavouring to get fuller details of natural outbreaks of supposed
foot and mouth disease which have been described, as none of them are alto-
gether convincing.
103. In any case it can safely be said that foot and mouth disease is not a
common disease of the camel in the Punjab ; and that its infrequency is not
wholly due to the tree-grazing habit of the animal, as is possibly the case in
certain other contagious diseases, but to a considerable degree of natural
immunity.
104. Wail.—This year I destroyed and made immediate post-mortems on
two typical wail cases (dachis) in the Thal and found in them no strongyles and
no abomasitis. They were extreme cases, hardly able to rise, and the strongyles
found in last year's cases are therefore not the first cause of the disease, but
were only accidentally present.
105. The oedemas, especially of the muscles, were most marked, as in last
year's cases; the blood was extremely hydraemic