9
which Kote can be held responsible. Moreover the death-rate since the surra
season of 1908 had decreased considerably, only 3 camels being lost between
30th June and 31st December.
66. That Kote is a healthy place for camels in the dangerous season appears
certain from the above facts. If the camels are always grazed there at that
time surra should cease to trouble the authorities at Kohat, The explanation
of the amount of surra in the 58th Rifles is that in 1907 their camels grazed in
a known surra-zone ; the dates of diagnosis of the surra cases show that the
disease has not spread amongst them in 1908, these being either old (1907) cases
or Hangu cases. Transfers are often made from Hangu to Kohat and vice versa,
and this may cause some confusion in the future as regards the incidence of
surra unless the mortality returns are carefully analysed,
67. The Hangu camels I am told cannot be removed from the surra-zone.
Their mortality is high and they are under somewhat unusual conditions as they
work all the year round; as there are only about 50 of them, it is practicable to
resort to protective drugs. The best and cheapest anti-trypanosome drug
known in the camel is Antimony Tartrate and I have ascertained that a camel
can take the drug for at least 5 months without harm to himself, in doses which
are sufficient to keep the blood free from trypanosomes for nearly the whole time,
Apart from any possible truly protective power for the healthy the drug if given
to all the animals during the fly-season will temporarily convert the latent cases
or " reservoirs of infection" into animals nearly as harmless as healthy ones,
for as a rule the blood does not seem to be infective whilst under this treatment.
The method is by no means free from disadvantages but worth trying under the
circumstances if a reliable Veterinary Dafadar is present to carry it out.
68. It is pretty certain that the surra season in this district is between some
date in June or July to some date in October; but it is not yet ascertained
whether there is or is not a number of Tabanus present in the valley also in May,
as was reported to be the case in Shabkadar, Peshawar district.
69. Much correspondence has been carried on from time to time with the
military authorities at Kohat regarding surra and the camel mortality and a
detailed report on the whole situation was recently sent to you at your request.
70. Dera Ismail Khan.—There has been a decline in surra in these camels
for which I cannot account.
CAMEL SURRA.
71. In addition to the special measures advised against surra for camels in
particular localities, the following more general recommendations are or have
been made :—
(i) That hill-camel breeding should be encouraged in the North Punjab
in the areas which were mentioned and on the lines suggested in
the report on camel breeding sent to you on 7th February 1908.
This would provide surra-free "remounts" suitable for' frontier work
for the 3 corps which draw their men from north of the Salt Range
and would set free a large number of camels to help to remount
other corps and to check the increasing prices.
(ii) That as the camel grazing country of the Punjab is by extension of
canals in certain districts becoming so limited and as this is
acting so injuriously to the health of camels in the plains, sacrifices
should be made in the healthier districts in which sufficient
grazing is available, so that corps camels may remain in safety
from surra during the dangerous season ; this would cause a greatly
decreased death-rate in the camels and relieve the strain on the
camel supply. These sacrifices would be the opening of some of
the rakhs in and to the north of the Salt Range which have been
closed for years to camel browsing. The closure of these rakhs
has resulted in a great decrease in the breeding and supply of hill
camels from healthy districts, and an enhanced price. This matter
has also been dealt with more fully in a communication to you.
It is a matter of great urgency.