Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-01-18
ARMY HORSES IN PERIL.
fnE DREADED pNDRRPRsr APPEARS in
THE BRITISH CAMP.
Animals Not In Good Condition for Cam
paIgn and Suffer From the Long Trip on
Transports Spread of the Disease Would
Seriously Affect the British Forces.

palgn and Suffer From the Long Trip on
Transports Spread of the Disease Would
Seriously Affect the British Forces
When the New York Suns CORE
spondent cabled from the British camp
at Frere, South Africa that there was
one case of horse sickness In camp 1t
may not have seemed very serious
and those few cabled words contained
more serious news than many mes
sages describing the loss OF human
life. That one sick horse in Frere
camp has already caused more anxiety
in the British camp than would the
sudden appearance Of commando of
5000 Beers. Already the lack OF horses
has over and over again prevented the
British troops from following up initial
success. 1t was so at Belmont, at Gras
Pan and Mt the Modder River. 1t Is
hampering Gatacre at northern Cape
Colony, and, with the exception, per-
maps, Of Elandslaagte, 1t has been the
case in nearly every engagement Of
note in Natal.
In addition to the lack of horses
there is the further detriment that the
English horses are evidently very I'M
fit for their work. British cavalrymen
are extensively mounted and their
horses are of an excellent type. But
in the piping times of peace they are
chiefly employed in 'eating their heads
off, and though they are in fine hrose-
show condition and groomed to perfec-
ton, making a noble show on parade,
they are too tender for sudden cam
paigning in country such as South
Africa. A Sun correspondent ut Cape
Town cabled some time ago that
whereas the Australian horses landed
there in good serviceable condition the
English horses arrived with their
| joints swollen and stiff. This is partly
due to their tenderness" and partly,
no doubt, to the long voyage of 1000
miles. When the transports first be-
| gan to leave England it was freely
| prophesied that the horses would suf-
| fer more than was necessary, mas
much as they We're too cramped, and
''slings" had not been provided in their
| stalls. Thus the horse would be oblig-
legs throughout the long journey Of
seventeen or eighteen days, in some
| cases, indeed, for nearly a month
The sling, otherwise band passed un-
der the horses body to take some of
his weight off his legs, was objected
to on the ground that in rough wealth
er 1t made the horse helpless to with
stand the motion of the boat. which
would consequently buffet him from
side to side of his narrow stall 1t
| was pointed out that there was no need
| for the horses to be "slung" the whole
| time, and that the amount of rest given
by means of sings. when the sea was
moderate, would be of great value
However, sings were not used, and be
the reason what it may, it is certain
| that the cavalry horses sent to South
Africa, are hot only far too few, but
in very poor condition to rectify which
there is no time to spare.
Thus if horse sickness on large
scale be added to these two evils it is
evident how serious the result may
be. and this is why l venture to sug-
gect that the sick horse of Frere camp
gives more cause for perturbation than
even a message bringing the sad news
of some brave mems death. For on the
horses and mules in South Africa de-
pend the lives of many men. The more
efficient the transport service and the
cavalry are, the SOONER will the war
be over, and the fewer lives sacrificed
on either side.
4 In most parts of South Africa the
dars erous season for horse sickness
extSnds from January till early in May,
but in some seasons the disease ap-
pears sporadically during November
and December. Low-lying areas and
valleys are the dangerous places. High
plateaus have such immunity that il
Is n common practice to send horses
from low country to Craze on these
areas during the summer months. Ar
unexplained popularity of the disease
is, that, although it appears every year
in one or more districts, 1t only in Ger
tain seasons becomes general over
large areas. Seven serious epizootiC
outbreaks have occurred in South
Africa since the first historical one in
1853. On one occasion 10000 horses
and mules, worth over half a million
sterling, died. Its exceptionally early
appearance has been reported among
the Boer horses near Ladysmith, but
all horses, mules and donkeys in Soutl
Africa are liable to it. with the excep
tons of the comparatively few speci
mems of 'salted" animals which have
recovered from two attacks of the
malady. Probably 95 per cent. Of tn,
horses affected die, and of mules al
most as many, while donkeys, being
subject to a milder form Of disease dc
not suffer severely. Their taking it
however, would render them unserv
iceable for the present campaign.
Mr.. Robert Wallace, professor of ag
riculture at the University of Edin
burgh, and the author of farming
Industries of Cape Colony" writes t
The Times the following particulars O
| the disease:
Horse sickness Edema mycosis) is |
maIarial fever which is produced by ;
observation-disclosures of the filamentos
es fungi-which under suitable condi
tons of heat and moisture grows
In the weld, but whether In