98 



Officer. If mange appeared on a large scale, oil at once became 

 unprocurable. If many camels have to be dressed the problem 

 becomes more difficult, as each camel takes a very large quantity 

 of oil. Veterinary Surgeon Meredith, who was at Quetta during 

 the war preparations last year, experienced the difficulty I point 

 out above. Oil in sufficient quantity for cure of mange on a large 

 scale he never succeeded in obtaining, and this at a cantonment 

 station. What it would be on field service you can imagine ! 

 The question now is — knowing from past sad experience this 

 difficulty about getting oil on a large scale — can or cannot the 

 Veterinary Profession culo'pt an efficient dressing for scabies widcli 

 will have ivater and not oil for the basis, for the administering 

 vehicle ? I have heard it stated they positively cannot dispense 

 with oil for the reason that the parasite, which is the cause of 

 true mange, can breathe through water but not through oil. Is 

 this a fact or only popular error ?^ Does oil suffocate the mange 

 insect and so cause its death ? 



'' I confess the out-look is most gloomy if oil is an absolute 

 necessity. The Transport Department in this case will never be 

 able to cope with scabies, for tons of oil they cannot, and will 

 not, get on field service ***•«• 



"This difficulty has cost Government enormous sums of money 

 in the past, and will do so again, unless, in the mean time, science 

 interferes and invents a cure for scabies which will not demand 

 oil for its chief component part. For my part I look to phenyle, 

 but, on the other hand, it is stated phenyle is only suitable for mild 

 cases. If you will refer to No. 15 of the Journal yo:i will see that 

 Veterinary Surgeon Rayment at Suakimused for scabies a mixture 

 of Sulphur Sublimatus and 01. Picis with 01. Comm. as a vehicle. 



" You can imagine for yourself how much 01. Comm. would be 

 expended in dressing a thousand camels, to make no mention of 

 ponies, bullocks, &c., and yet on field service we have to face 

 the pi'oblem I bring forward for your examination. The general 

 belief seems to be that without oil, scabies is incurable. Is this 

 a fact or not ? 



*The oil plugs the pores of the skin through which air for respiration 

 enters ; it also is thought to clog up the mouths of the burroAvs of the 

 parasites (Eds. Q. J.) 



