PURCHASE OF CAMELS FOE MILITARY PURPOSES. 161 



Camp Verde, Texas, November 19, 1856. 



Sir : lu obedience to your order, I have made " post mortem " ex- 

 aminations of a male Bactrian camel, named " Gusuf," which died on 

 the evening of the 10th instant, and of a male Egyptian dromedary, 

 named "Goimial," which died on the 17th instant, and have to report : 



That the bowels of the Bactrian were in the state natural to an ani- 

 mal which has been dead some hours — i. e., inflated with air or gas ; 

 the stomachs were in a tolerably healthy condition, and the paunch 

 nearly full of undigested food. On examining the viscera, the liver 

 was found to be totally diseased, and, although dead only a few hours, 

 putrescent and offensive. The organ in question contained large cysti, 

 full of pus, and numerous hydatids permeated the whole of it, even to 

 the extremities of the lobes. The lungs and heart evidenced no disease 

 per se. The jugular veins being greatly distended were opened, and 

 the serous portion of the blood was found to be separated from the 

 rest, coagulated, yellow in color, and highly offensive. 



From the appearance of the liver, its disorder appears to have been 

 of long standing, and being aggravated by confinement on shipboard, 

 change of food and climate, at last resulted in the death of the camel. 



There seems to be the more reason for this belief, as, whilst on the 

 ship, (and even as soon as received on board,) the above mentioned 

 animal was ailing, refusing to eat, persisting in lying down, &c., in- 

 dicative at that period of something wrong. 



The cause of the loss of the Egyptian dromedary was an external 

 injury^ viz : a severe laceration and bruising of the inside of the left 

 thigh, in close proximity to the joint, being the effect of bites from 

 the Tunisian camel, " Mahomet," whilst they were at pasture, Octo- 

 ber 5th ultimo. 



One of the tendons was torn out by the tusks of the attacking camel, 

 the ruptured ends protruding from the wound ; the flesh was much 

 torn and bruised ; the wound deep and ragged. 



It had been under careful treatment up to the time of its death ; but 

 continuous and deeply seated inflammation set at nought all means 

 used for its relief. 



Being unable to walk, kneel down, or graze, and pain producing 

 loss of appetite, it died on the ITth instant, nearly as much from ex- 

 haustion and inanition as from the wound itself. 



On making a longitudinal incision on the external side of the in- 

 jured thigh, to the depth of three inches, a large quantity of pus ex- 

 uded from the opening. Commencing the same operation on the 

 inside of the limb, and at the exact spot of the original injury, the 

 knife had to be thrust almost to the bone ere the pus showed itself. 

 Laying the thigh open, the whole of the muscles, integuments, and 

 flesh in the interior of the limb and around the bone were found to 

 be totally destroyed and converted into putrescent matter. The quan- 

 tity of pus contained in the cavity exceeded a half gallon, and mixed 

 with it were numerous indurated lumps. 



Inflammation commencing at the bone, and externally demonstrat- 

 ing little or nothing until so far gone as to render the usual remedies 



Ex. Doc. 62 11 



