The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-26

New Orleans, Dot s3-A very import
ant fact, and one which has q distinct
bearing on the. lighting programme OF
the British army and the probable dura-
tion Of the war, came out In converse
tion between Major Pallin. British vet
eriuary officer, aud New Orleans Times
Democrat reporter . few days ago. 1t Is
undou btsdly trus tsat the campaign IL
being arr IN ysd wish view Of enabling
the oavarly horses and pack mulss to
escape. II possible, three frightful plaaIes
peculiar tn the Trsnsvaal: First, the
''horse Sickness" second, the Tsetse fly |;
third the cattle tick. OF the three the
horse sickness 10 vastly the most dreaded
and formidable. IL 10 n malady, presum-
ably Of germ origin. which RACES through
ont the warmer months. and ssnsrally
makes Its appearance in February. To
escape IL nsoessstates the practical con-
clusion Of the British operations before
that time, which does away ut once with
the theory that there will tie any delay In
opening this main campaign. MAJOR
Palm said: cit is q malsdy which we
eoAfo"c w w 1ec W % HoAh " A1seAs%S 80
the dew on The grass The horses take
IL into the mouth while browsing In the
early morning. and their peculiar habit
Of raising their head with long, snufii ng
Inhalation carries IL into the lungs. There
it multipiies with enormous rapidity and
soon chokes up the cells The result Is
that the animal dies from asphyxiation.
The progress Of the disease when IL once
manifetts itself is terribly swift. / knew
| of casa when l was serving with the
army during the Zulu war. In which o
horse died In two hours and u half, and
have had other cases that fingered for
rs long rs two days. The average 10
about six hours"
"what OF tins mortality" the major
was asked.
eft Is frlghtful. I have never known
personally of but two recoveries. We
ought IL possible, to be through with the
war by February. Twelve fine cavalry
regiments Of 500 horses each are icing
| sent to the scene. and II the malady
| breaks out among them IL would be apt
to entirely destroy their usefulness. The
horse sickness can very easily put q
regiment Of cavalry entirely out Of &C.
tion."
"Does 1t also attack mules'?'
Eyes, hut they are for some reason
less liable to It. However the danger Is
ocn sidsrabie."
"Mbat IL to lie Understood by the term
Sailed horses,' which Is being applied
In the reports 20 the cavalry Of the
Boersp'
"a 'saltsd' horse 10 one that has sur
vived an attack of the disease, which IL
supposed to render IL Immune. You will
understand 1t Ia peouli arly atle to attack
unacclimated animals. TDe boer stock
Is, of courss, thoroughly aoclimntsd.
The Tsetse fly IL an insect that bites
the animal and creates liberation,
which IL frequently fatal. 1t can be kept
away to come sxtent by the application
of u certain oil. the preparation Of which
| is an English trade secret. Large qusnti-
| ties of the oil are used all through the
Transvsal. The cattle tick resembles the
tick which occasionally infests the
Southweste tern prairies. hut Il is much moro
venomo US. 1t burrows under the skin
| and sets up an liberation which often
poisons the blood. Both the fly and the
| tick are active all the year Ground in
South Africa, but as they can tie measure
ABLY guarded against they are not regard
ed with anything like the apprehension
that Is excited by the horss sickness.
A visitation of the latter malady would
60 far toward put ing the British army
hors dc combat. 1t would mean the dis
organic ,tion OF Its oommlssary and am.
munition trains, the crlppling Of Its ar
tillery and the practical end OF its cavalry
as mounted troops. 1t Is no exaggeration
to say that the bacilli Is more deadly
than the burgher.