PUECHASE OF CAMELS FOE MILITAEY PUEPOSES. 85 



SHEARING. 



Towards the end of April the Arahs shear the camel. It is done 

 as follows : the animal is made to lie down, and the herdsmen clip 

 the hair with sharp knives, one of them following collecting the hair. 

 It is a tedious operation. The shearing commences at two years old. 



TARRING. 



Every year after shearing the camel is covered with a mixture of 

 oil and tar, thrice during the spring and twice during the summer. 

 This is to preserve it from the itch. 



PURGING. 



This is generally done at the same time as the shearing and tarring. 

 The Arahs make a purge hy heating a pound of rancid butter and 

 stirring therein two or three eggs. 



DISEASES. 



The itch, (or mange,) this is only mortal when the animal remains 

 uncurried before the arrival of winter, as its body being then deprived 

 of hair it cannot resist the cold. Every animal attacked with the 

 itch must be at once separated from the rest, or in a few days he will 

 have infected the whole troop. His saddle, harness, &c., must be 

 carefully scrubbed prior to being again used. Tar must be applied to 

 the parts affected, and if the weather is warm, the hair around them 

 must be cut off. It is rare that one application is enough. On the 

 fifteenth day, the skin being dry, it can be seen whether or not the 

 disease is cured. If cured, the hair has commenced to grow again. 

 The itch cannot be too carefully guarded against, nor can too much 

 care be taken in separating the infected animals from the rest and 

 from each other. A troop should be inspected every day, and tar 

 kept always on hand to rub on suspected places. If the itch is old 

 and inveterate, it is necessary to tar the animal not only on those 

 parts of the body that seem to require it least, but even the mouth, 

 teeth, and toe nails. 



The slemma, (cholic,) this is not a serious malady. It is generally 

 caused by the animal having drank stagnant water, and it soon dis- 

 appears of itself. 



The magout is a disease caused by the girth being placed in front 

 of the sheath, instead of behind it. A tumor is formed, and the 

 animal cannot urinate. The Arab method of curing it is to open the 

 skin near the penis, which they lay hold of, and pull forward in such 

 a manner as to relax the nerve. This operation proves sufficient. 



The " moroos " is a cracking of the sole of the foot, which causes 

 a bad lameness for a time, but it soon disappears, without requiring 

 any application. 



