II
from trypanosomes for days together; until a better means of
diagnosis is discovered however the microscope should in every
case be used, and will prevent a great deal of trouble, especially in
the last 2 months of the year. That very many camels with surra
are purchased by camel corps annually is a fact.
72. To insist on first class condition is a considerable (though not an
absolute) safeguard when purchasing especially at the end of the cold weather;
and in this connection the condition of the hump can only properly be estimated
by actually feeling it with the hand.
73. This year has been exceptionally dangerous for the risk of purchasing
surra, because of the exceptional rains. Purchasing is becoming very difficult in
many districts; and no great improvement is likely to occur until grazing is
opened on a large scale for camel-breeding in healthy districts.
74. In the South-East Punjab camel-owners have a test for surra (which I
am hoping to investigate this year): they segregate the cases they diagnose until
the end of the surra season ; and many of their camels are afterwards sold in
the big fairs. From these fairs a large number of plains camels are being pur-
chased by owners in the North Punjab and doubtless many pass into the camel
corps there as local animals.
SOME OTHER POINTS INFLUENCING MORTALITY.
75. There are other circumstances which must have a considerable influence
on the mortality, although it is only the provision of surra-free grazing grounds for
the corps' use which will reduce the mortality to a reasonable figure. One is
the frequency with which Commandants are changed ; soon after he has acquir-
ed a knowledge of the animal and the local conditions, his appointment comes to
an end.
76. The bhusa ration allowed to corps camels by Government is another
point which requires attention. Two-thirds of it is white bhusa, the other third is
missa bhusa ; the total weight of bhusa allowed being 16 lbs. The majority of
baggage camels will eat very little of the white bhusa leaving it in heaps in front
of them after picking out all the missa. Thus, when working on rations, the
camel does not get the necessary bulk of food and the effect of this is soon
apparent. I have had many opportunities of seeing how quickly camels fall
away in condition when they have been worked for a time on this ration (and
gram) with little or no grazing. On the other hand they thrive for a time on
missa bhusa and mote bhusa. Even when the price of missa bhusa is higher
than that of white 3bhusa the camels would actually get a greater bulk of
bhusa if the ration were altered and missa bhusa only were purchased up to the
same actual cost per camel for they would eat it all instead of leaving it.
77. The camels of two of the regiments at Bannu get a 15 lbs. missa bhusa
ration which, with corn keeps the camels in condition when they cannot get
grazing; a similar bhusa ration is required for all baggage camels when they are
working and cannot get grazing.
78. In my last report I recommended that the sick lines should be in the graz-
ing grounds. In a Silladar Camel Corps the post of Veterinary Dafadar or Salutri
could become an extremely useful one if sarwans on unemployed pay could be
made to report cases of sickness earlier. There is a good reason why the
sarwans do not do this ; each man has his three camels, and if one is in the
sick lines, the sarwan often has to look after it, and his other two camels' work
is either lost or entrusted to some one else; this has as much to do with the
non-reporting of sickness as distrust of the Salutri's treatment; non-reportingof
sickness leads to the loss of a considerable number of camels annually which
could have been saved by simple commonsense treatment applied by a Salutri
who knows the animal. The difficulty could be got over by the appointment of a
few extra camelmen to look after the sick camels under the Salutri. Neglected
cases found at inspections however should be looked after by the sarwan himself;
this has been found to be an excellent preventative for mange in unemployed
camels in the 56th Camel Corps.